Allegations of spying against National Police University associate professor Wu Chang-yu (吳彰裕) are only the tip of the iceberg, members of the Falun Gong movement said on Saturday.
Wu, who teaches Chinese political history, was arraigned for questioning on Thursday on charges of allegedly spying for China and passing information to Chinese officials about Chinese dissidents, pro-Tibetan activists and the Falun Gong movement in Taiwan.
Wu told prosecutors the information he offered was not confidential and was readily available from multiple sources.
According to National Taiwan University economics professor Chang Ching-hsi (張清溪), who also serves as the chairman of the Taiwanese Falun Dafa Association, the personal information of individuals who openly criticize China for its oppression of Falun Gong practitioners is easily accessible and computer hacking attacks on Web sites related to Falun Gong are common.
The Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) in Shanghai recently detained a Falun Gong member who was not an activist, Chang said, adding that the security officials knew detailed information about the member and recited them to the detained man to intimidate him.
China is using its power to gather information and Taiwanese should be on guard, Chang said.
Ko Yi-chun (柯宜君), another Falun Gong practitioner, said she was present in 2007 when Hong Kong police detained 500 Falun Gong members at the airport who had gone to the territory on the 10th anniversary of its hand over to Chinese control.
All those arrested were returned to Taiwan.
The incident became ever more controversial after Falun Gong members filed an appeal with the Hong Kong Supreme Court, but their appeal was overturned, which some analysts said was a warning sign that the independence of the territory’s judicial system was regressing.
Ko said that after an immigration officer had scanned her passport information into the computer, a police officer came over and took her into a questioning room without giving a reason, adding that after about 10 hours of detention, they wrapped her up in a blanket and forcibly sent her back to Taiwan.
Falun Gong is very liberal and there is no ceremony conducted upon joining nor is there a list of practitioners, Ko said, adding that members are free to come and go as they please.
There are rumors that the Chinese Communist Party has drawn up a blacklist using personal information gathered through “special” channels, which enabled Hong Kong police to accurately pinpoint Taiwanese who have associations with Falun Gong, Ko said.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff writer
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