The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) on Saturday said it had issued a notice to the Legislative Yuan on April 24 asking it to appoint a person to upload lawmakers’ itineraries to the ministry’s Web site when legislators travel to China.
The ministry on April 17 announced the establishment of a Web site where religious groups, public organizations and civic groups could register trips to China, to better assist them should they encounter trouble during their trip.
The legislature could use the same Web site to submit information regarding their travel to China, the ministry said.
Photo: Huang Hsin-po, Taipei Times
Democratically elected officials have been granted power by the public and should make the itineraries of their trips to China transparent, it said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Fu Kun-chi on Saturday criticized the move, saying it was an infringement on their freedom of movement, which is protected by the Constitution, adding that the legislature would not aid and abet irrational measures issued by an autocratic administration.
KMT Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) said that the ministry has no power over the Legislative Yuan and that it was entirely up to legislators whether they want to provide such data.
It makes no sense for the ministry to regulate where lawmakers can or cannot go, when the legislature provides oversight of the ministry, she added.
She would not be reporting to the ministry about her intended travels, Chen said, adding that she posts about her travels on Facebook and that the ministry is welcome to look at her page to know about her whereabouts.
KMT Legislator Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) said the ministry’s policy only politically benefited the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and is not an actual national security consideration.
Government agencies should maintain administrative neutrality, he said, adding that the DPP should focus on the spies within its midst.
He was referring to alleged spying cases involving DPP workers — including a former aide of then-minister of foreign affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮).
DPP Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) said that Taiwan upholds freedom of movement, adding that registering on the Web site does not mean someone cannot continue with their visit.
DPP Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) said that legislators should not visit the nation’s “enemy” so often, referring to Fu heading a KMT delegation to visit China in April last year.
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