Groups yesterday revived calls for legislation to protect the right to seek refuge, after three Chinese nationals claiming asylum in Taiwan earlier this week were sent back to Malaysia.
Radio Free Asia reported that a man named Tian Yongde (田永德), a woman named Wei Yani (韋亞妮) and her teenage son, Huang Xingxing (黃星星), on Tuesday refused to board a Beijing-bound flight that they had booked after disembarking a flight from Kuala Lumpur.
Tian, who claimed to be an original signator of a protest document entitled Charter 08 originally hailing from Chinese Mongolia, said the three feared persecution by China and intended to obtain asylum in the US after being allowed a temporary stay in Taiwan, the outlet said.
Photo courtesy of a reader
Wei and Huang — no relation to Tian — were formerly residents of China’s Guangxi autonomous region, it said, citing Wei as saying that she had been declared a subversive and imprisoned for nearly 11 years for signing a petition.
The trio arrived that evening and were supposed to board a flight to China in the afternoon the next day, but instead spoke to National Immigration Agency (NIA) personnel demanding asylum, the agency said.
The NIA did not grant their request, as procedures require passengers to travel to the intended designation of their flight and those found at a connection without a visa must be returned to the airport of origin, it said, citing aviation rules and treaties.
The three were returned to Malaysia via EVA Airways Flight BR217 after being housed in the on-site infirmary overnight, the NIA said, adding that processing the three took one day.
Taiwan Association for Human Rights researcher Shih Yi-hsiang (施逸翔) said that Taiwan has no laws to protect asylum seekers or regulations governing the handling of refugees, hampering humanitarian efforts to help those fleeing wars or natural disasters.
The three Chinese nationals who were turned away appeared to be registered as refugees by the UN, meaning that their claims of being persecuted in China have been recognized as factual, he said.
“Taiwan could have dealt with this situation with more adherence to human rights and democratic legal procedures if the government had a response mechanism,” Shih said.
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Jan Jyh-horng (詹志宏) told a news conference that the three asylum seekers differed from Chinese dissident Chen Siming (陳思明), as the latter contacted the Canadian government before setting foot in Taiwan.
The prior arrangement gave the nation latitude to grant Chen’s request, despite the absence of an entry permit, he said, adding that the Chinese dissident was allowed to depart for Canada without clearing customs and entering Taiwan.
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
REPORT: Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining loitering munitions matching the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 or the Anduril Altius-600, ‘Foreign Policy’ said Taiwan is seeking US-made kamikaze drones in an apparent concession to pressure from Washington to focus on asymmetric capabilities to defeat or deter a Chinese attack, Foreign Policy said in a report on Wednesday. Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions or other devices with similar capabilities, it said, citing four sources familiar with the matter commenting on condition of anonymity. The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed for attacking ground troops, while its larger sibling, the Switchblade 600, could be used to destroy tanks and entrenched troops. Ukraine has utilized both systems extensively in its fight against
Police officers yesterday morning apprehended the prime suspect of a triple homicide case, after raiding the suspect’s hideout in Taichung. They transported the suspect to New Taipei City for questioning and recorded his statement last night. The suspect, identified as a 24-year-old man surnamed Chang (張), is believed to have used his hands to strangle his wife, surnamed Chen (陳), 29, along with his three-year-old son from a previous marriage and his wife’s mother, 69. The three dead bodies were wrapped in blankets when they were discovered inside their apartment in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重) on Saturday. Chang was holding a
STRIKING A BALANCE: A nutritionist said that only 9 percent of respondents were concerned whether they had a sufficient balance of vegetables and fruits Nearly 60 percent of respondents said that they are affected physically and mentally due to lack of a regular breakfast routine, while only 9 percent ate a balanced diet, a Formosa Cancer Foundation survey showed. Thirty percent of respondents do not eat breakfast at home, saying it is more expedient to buy it, said Hsu Kuei-ting (徐桂婷), the foundation’s nutritionist, citing its most recent poll on nutritional intake for people aged 20 to 60. The poll showed that 60 percent believe they do not eat breakfasts that have balanced nutrition. At 62 percent, convenience was the most commonly cited factor in deciding whether