A reporter from the Chinese-language United Daily News said in a report that she was refused entry to UN headquarters after presenting her Republic of China (ROC) passport.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would lodge a protest with the UN over reports that Taiwanese visitors were denied entry into UN headquarters in New York.
The United Daily News reporter said that she was denied entry to UN headquarters after presenting her passport.
Photo: Reuters
She then showed her Taiwan Compatriot Travel Document — a permit issued to Taiwanese by Chinese authorities for travel to China — but was still turned away by UN guards, who cited new UN regulations, the reporter said.
The reporter, who had booked a guided tour of the UN building online, said she was told that only Chinese with People’s Republic of China passports or other proof of identity issued by China were allowed to enter.
Travel documents issued by China for Taiwanese are no longer accepted, the report said, adding that another visitor from Taiwan who had a Chinese travel permit was also denied entry.
Ministry spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said the ministry has asked the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York to verify the incident and would file a protest with the UN through the appropriate channels with the help of other nations.
The ministry would ask the UN to not discriminate against Taiwanese, in line with its universal principles of fairness and justice, Lee said, adding that blocking visits by Taiwanese has seriously infringed on their rights.
According to the United Daily News report, Taiwanese showing ROC passports have been blocked from visiting UN headquarters since last year.
Although Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) has also urged the UN to open its doors to Taiwanese, the situation has only gotten worse, the report said.
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