Eleven suspects were arrested after a group of armed attackers broke into Taiwan’s embassy in Haiti, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, adding that it was unclear if the suspects were also involved in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.
Interim Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph on Wednesday confirmed that Moise, 53, had been assassinated at his residence that morning, while his wife, Martine Moise, was wounded.
MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said yesterday that the embassy, about 2km from Moise’s residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, was closed “for safety reasons” after the murder.
Embassy staff have been working from home since Wednesday and the office has suspended public services, Ou said.
Early on Thursday morning, embassy security personnel discovered an armed group of people breaking through the embassy’s security perimeter and entering the courtyard, she said, adding that security immediately notified embassy staff and the Haitian police.
The embassy agreed to let police enter the embassy to conduct a search, which started at about 4pm on Thursday, with the police arresting the suspects, she said.
“As for whether the suspects were involved in the assassination of the president of Haiti, that will need to be investigated by the Haitian police,” Ou said.
Some doors and windows had been broken at the embassy, but no other property had been stolen or damaged, she said.
The ministry has asked the embassy to bolster security, Ou said.
Haiti is one of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies.
The government reiterated its support for Joseph in leading Haiti to overcome this crisis and restore order, Ou said, adding that Taiwan strongly condemns the “cruel and barbaric” assassination.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Wednesday said that the nation stands together with its ally in this difficult time.
Additional reporting by AFP and AP
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
A total lunar eclipse, an astronomical event often referred to as a “blood moon,” would be visible to sky watchers in Taiwan starting just before midnight on Sunday night, the Taipei Astronomical Museum said. The phenomenon is also called “blood moon” due to the reddish-orange hue it takes on as the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, completely blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. The only light is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere, and its red wavelengths are bent toward the moon, illuminating it in a dramatic crimson light. Describing the event as the most important astronomical phenomenon
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS