The Coast Guard Administration yesterday rescued the Yu Chan Hsiang, a fishing vessel hijacked by its Indonesian crew in the waters off Pingtung, an official said.
The rescue mission, carried out by a Taiwanese patrol boat, led to the arrest of seven Indonesian crewmembers, a spokesman for the administration’s Maritime Patrol Directorate-General said.
The spokesman said the directorate-general has maintained contact with the patrol boat to keep abreast of developments, adding that the fishing boat, registered in Pingtung County’s Liouciou Township (琉球), is expected to be escorted to Kaohsiung Harbor in the next three to four days.
PHOTO: WU JEN-CHIEN, TAIPEI TIMES
Coast guard officers in southern Taiwan received a report on Wednesday from the Donggang Fishery Radio Station saying that captain Tsai Kun-he (蔡坤和) and chief engineer Lee Hui-fa (李惠發) were threatened and held captive after a clash with Indonesian crew members. Their ship was 1,480km southeast of Eluanbi (鵝鑾鼻) on the southern tip of Taiwan, the spokesman said.
The directorate-general sent a Taiwanese patrol vessel carrying five armed special service officers and two inspectors to carry out the rescue mission later that day. The 51 tonne fishing boat was not found until yesterday, when officers spotted it with a telescope.
Coast guard personnel approached the fishing boat and overpowered the Indonesian crew after making certain that Tsai and Lee were safe, the spokesman said.
After the coast guard officers brought the situation under control, however, Lee suffered minor cuts on his left arm from a crewmember’s knife as he tried to go to the bathroom, the spokesman said.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
Typhoon Krathon, a military airshow and rehearsals for Double Ten National Day celebrations might disrupt flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in the first 10 days of next month, the airport’s operator said yesterday. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a statement that it has established a response center after the Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Krathon, and urged passengers to remain alert to the possibility of disruptions caused by the storm in the coming days. Flight schedules might also change while the air force conducts rehearsals and holds a final airshow for Double Ten National Day, it added. Although
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
RSS