Date: August 24, 2017
MAC Press Release No. 61
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) stated today (August 24, 2017) that 18 Taiwanese nationals involved in telecommunications fraud in Malaysia and Cambodia (15 in Malaysia and three in Cambodia) were forcibly taken to mainland China. The MAC expressed deep regret and solemnly protested to the Mainland.
The MAC stated that, since the occurrence of a similar case in 2016, Taiwan has repeatedly appealed to the Mainland for the public security agencies on the two sides to cooperatively investigate and exchange case information in order to effectively combat crime. Each side should bring back their own people for investigation and trial in accordance with the law. This is the way to effectively combat such crimes and to track down the ringleaders behind the scenes. However, the Mainland has repeatedly deported Taiwanese nationals to mainland China in complete disregard for Taiwan's goodwill and appeals. This is not conducive to the cooperative investigation of cross-border crime and is detrimental to the benign development of cross-Strait relations.
The MAC explained that the government has demanded that, after the involved Taiwanese nationals are deported to mainland China, the Mainland should promptly make notification of restrictions to personal freedom, as stipulated under the Cross-Strait Agreement on Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance. It should also promptly assist with arrangements for family visits to the Mainland based on the position of humanitarian concerns, continue to protect the relevant judicial rights and interests of the people of Taiwan, and follow due legal process.
The MAC re-emphasized that, since last year, the government of the Republic of China has been actively strengthening efforts to effectively combat cross-border telecommunications fraud. It has amended laws, stiffened penalties for criminal liability, and formulated a new policy for confiscation of criminal proceeds to stamp out cross-border telecommunications fraud and break up criminal syndicates at their source. In Taiwan, it also continues to conduct anti-crime raids that have broken up numerous telecommunications fraud operations. It is also cooperating with other countries to stop unscrupulous nationals from engaging in telecommunications fraud in other countries, demonstrating Taiwan's determination and achievements in combating cross-border telecommunications fraud.
The MAC called on the Mainland to keep the well-being of the people in mind, remove unnecessary political barriers, and jointly plan resolution and response measures on the existing basis of cross-Strait cooperation and through benign communication and dialogue. Only continued cooperation between public security agencies on both sides is conducive to identifying criminals behind the scenes, to tracking down criminal syndicates to their source, and to thoroughly cracking down on telecommunications fraud to safeguard the interests and well-being of the people on both sides.