The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) on Friday confirmed that Chinese public security authorities have detained a Taiwanese man from Changhua County, who had been missing for 10 months.
It has been verified through relevant channels that the 19-year-old man, surnamed Huang (黃), has been detained by public security authorities in China, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said.
The SEF, a semi-official organization tasked by the government to handle technical matters involving China, has contacted Huang’s family and obtained a general understanding of the possible reasons for his detention, Luo said.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
However, further details about the reasons for the detention would not be disclosed, as the matter concerns Huang’s personal affairs, he added.
According to the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement (海峽兩岸共同打擊犯罪及司法互助協議), Chinese authorities should notify the National Police Agency if a Taiwanese is detained in China, Luo said.
“Why are you not honoring agreements that have been signed?” Luo said, urging the Chinese authorities to adhere to the existing notification mechanism, which is “a mutual responsibility that benefits people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.”
The Chinese authorities’ failure to adhere to such mechanisms outlined in the agreement meant Huang had been out of contact for an extended period, leaving the government and his family in the dark about his situation, Luo said.
When Huang’s family recently received a notice from Chinese authorities about his situation, they initially suspected it might be a scam. It was only after considerable effort that they were able to gain a clearer understanding of the circumstances, Luo said.
The SEF has formally reached out to its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, regarding Huang’s case, Luo said.
Originally from Changhua’s Shengang Township (伸港), Huang went missing in March last year. His family only recently received a notice from a public security bureau in the Chinese city of Datong, Shanxi Province, about his detention.
The notice stated that Huang has been detained on charges of fraud filed against him on Dec. 2.
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