A coalition of civic groups yesterday unveiled their proposals to amend the Act Governing Relations With Hong Kong and Macau (香港澳門關係條例) to flesh out rules for vetting Hong Kongers seeking asylum, as they marked the first anniversary of the start of a campaign against a now-retracted extradition bill in the territory.
The proposals were drafted by several groups in the wake of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) announcement of an action plan to offer humanitarian assistance to Hong Kongers, Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) told a news conference in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, adding that they are aimed at complementing Article 18 of the act.
The article only states that the Mainland Affairs Council may provide Hong Kong residents whose safety and freedom have been threatened for political reasons with assistance if necessary, without specifying the types of assistance or what conditions asylum seekers must meet.
Photo: CNA
The proposals seek to provide applicants with the right to seek judicial remedy if their applications are rejected by the council, and create a review panel with at least one-third of its staff comprising academics and experts from the public, Lai said.
A draft provision states that in the event that a Hong Konger must be deported, the authorities should respect their choice of destination and must not repatriate them to Hong Kong against their will, he said.
The proposals seek to mandate the Ministry of the Interior to provide accommodation, healthcare and legal assistance to Hong Kongers while their application for asylum is under review, Taiwan Association for Human Rights advocate Lin Shu-han (林姝函) said.
The ministry may enlist civic groups to offer the aforementioned assistance, in which case an interdepartmental task force should be created to follow up on the progress, she added.
The “corrupt” Hong Kong police has violently cracked down on protesters, arrested more than 8,000 of them and indicted more than 1,500, a year after the first protest against the bill was staged, Hong Kong Outlanders chairman Kuma Yung said.
The situation in Hong Kong remains dire as the Chinese National People’s Congress seeks to push through a national security bill for Hong Kong, and pro-establishment members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council have arbitrarily passed a national anthem law, which stipulates a prison term of up to three years or a fine of up to HK$50,000 (US$6,452) for people who alter the lyrics or melody of China’s national anthem or render it in a disparaging tone, Yung said.
However, Hong Kong protesters refuse to sing praise of Chinese autocracy in the face of Beijing’s “expansionist imperialism,” which has triggered a “new cold war” between the East and the West, and affected nations globally, he said.
People used to describe Hong Kong, a former British colony, as a “borrowed place living on borrowed time,” but today, Hong Kongers’ desire for self-determination is just as strong as that of any aspiring race, and would only be further stoked by agony and distress, Yung said.
He announced a rally on Saturday at Liberty Square in Taipei in support of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, and called on lawmakers to participate in the event to express solidarity with Hong Kong protesters, especially those who have joined the Taiwan Parliament Group for Hong Kong (台灣國會友好香港連線) created last month by independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐).
The news conference was also attended by members of the Green Citizens’ Action Alliance, New School For Democracy, Covenants Watch, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, and the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan, among others.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
NO SHAME IN RETREAT: Hikers should consider turning back if the weather turns bad or if they do not have sufficient equipment, the Taroko park headquarters said Two people died of hypothermia over the weekend while hiking on Hsuehshan (雪山), prompting park authorities to remind hikers to bring proper equipment and consider their physical condition before setting out in the cold weather. Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. On Saturday, another hiker, surnamed Tien (田), in a group of five on the southeast of the west