Taiwan is becoming impatient with the progress of an investigation by the US into the death of a Taiwanese boat captain, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Yang (楊進添) said yesterday after a closed-door meeting with American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director William Stanton.
“The sorrow the families feel over [his] death is almost too much to bear and there are many things [about the incident] that remain to be clarified. Patience has its limits,” Yang said when asked about the conversation by reporters.
Wu Lai-yu (吳來于), the captain of a Taiwanese fishing vessel, the Jih Chun Tsai No. 68, which was hijacked by Somali pirates, was killed on May 10 in crossfire between a US frigate, USS Stephen W. Groves, operating as part of NATO’s counterpiracy mission, and the pirates.
The ministry confirmed his death after reading the news in a NATO press release on May 21 and went public with the news on May 28 when it received a death certificate from the US.
Yang said he pointed out to Stanton several issues that the ministry and Wu’s family needed the US to explain.
Those included why it took the US 10 days to confirm Wu’s death, and why the US Navy opened fire when it knew the Jih Chun Tsai No. 68 was a Taiwanese-registered vessel and there was a hostage on board, Yang said.
The ministry also demanded explanations from the US on what troops saw when they boarded the ship following the gunfight and why the troops decided to bury the captain at sea without informing the Taiwanese government or Wu’s family.
The ministry also suggested that the US give serious thought to offering compensation or condolence funds to Wu’s family once it completes its investigation into the incident which should determine whether the US is culpable for Wu’s death, Yang said.
“I don’t understand why it is taking so long for the US to complete its report. The longer it takes, the more problems it causes,” Yang said. “The US and NATO should know that [the incident] is a matter of great concern [to Taiwanese].”
After the incident was made public, Stanton met with Yang at least twice at the ministry, but Yang said Stanton so far had not been able to give him more information.
“This is what I am dissatisfied with,” Yang said.
However, he added that he was grateful for the AITs cooperation with the ministry, for accurately conveying the ministry’s position to the US government and for the condolences it has extended to Wu’s family.
Stanton refused to answer questions when approached by reporters, neither did he confirm that he had asked to see Yang about the case.
In an e-mail to the Taipei Times later yesterday, AIT spokesperson Christopher Kavanagh said Stanton routinely meets with senior Taiwanese officials, including Yang, to discuss a wide range of issues that are important to US-Taiwan relations.
“The AIT has requested a full account of the incident from NATO and Washington, and a factual review is under way. We have shared and will continue to share information with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as we receive it,” Kavanagh said.
NATO said in response to queries about the investigation from the Taipei Times via e-mail that the reason for the delay in releasing details of the incident was that it “has to ascertain the facts of the event to ensure the correct facts are released.”
“NATO regrets the loss of life and at this time our thoughts are with the family of Wu Lai-yu,” said Shona Lowe, NATO’s deputy public affairs officer.
The primary aim of NATO forces in Operation Ocean Shield, the EU mission to help combat piracy off the Horn of Africa, remains the safety of all those caught up in piracy activities — hostages, crew, naval personnel and pirates, Lowe said.
“However, over the past few months, as pirates increasingly use captured vessels as motherships, we have observed a greater willingness by the pirates to use force when engaging with naval forces,” Lowe said.
This significantly increases the risk for all concerned and raises the possibility of unintended casualties and fatalities, Lowe added.
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