Date: April 12, 2016
MAC Press Release No. 28
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Andrew Hsia made a hotline call this afternoon (April 12, 2016) to Director Zhang Zhijun of the Mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) to re-express Taiwan's solemn stance and specific proposals on the Mainland's detention of Taiwan nationals deported from Kenya. Director Zhang said that he would convey the views to the related departments and reply promptly.
MAC Minister Hsia stated during the hotline call that, on April 8, Taiwan told the Mainland that its detention of eight Taiwan nationals acquitted in Kenya disregards the consensus maintained between the two sides on the handling of such cases since 2011, namely that both sides would first notify the other side before, during and after events when cooperating on combating transnational crime, as well as to coordinate actions, and to let each side bring back their respective personnel. The Mainland also violated the Kenya court's injunction forbidding the deportation of Taiwanese people, seriously infringing the rights and interests of the people of Taiwan. The late response made to Taiwan has also subjected cross-strait interactions to outside criticism. Today the Mainland forcibly deported 37 Taiwan nationals from Kenya to the Mainland, disregarding Taiwan's call for it to repatriate the eight Taiwan nationals sent to the Mainland and return the 15 nationals still in Kenya. This has seriously undermined the mutual trust established between the two sides over the past eight years. The Taiwan side again protested this matter.
During the hotline call with Director Zhang, MAC Minister Hsia raised the following specific proposals regarding this incident:
1. The Mainland should issue a notification on the safety and restrictions imposed on the 37 Taiwan nationals deported to the Mainland immediately upon their arrival in the Mainland, as stipulated in the Agreement on Joint Cross-Strait Crime-Fighting and Mutual Judicial Assistance.
2. The Taiwan side hopes to promptly arrange for the Ministry of Justice, Criminal Investigation Bureau, MAC, and Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to send a delegation to the Mainland to understand the relevant facts, coordinate follow-up affairs, and visit with the detainees.
3. Based on the past cooperation mode between the two sides, the Mainland should promptly repatriate the 45 Taiwanese people detained in the Mainland.
4. The Mainland side was requested to actively assist with arrangements for related personnel and family members in Taiwan to visit the Taiwan nationals deported from Kenya and detained in the Mainland.
5. To prevent the repeated occurrence of such cases, the two sides should promptly discuss, through the Agreement on Joint Cross-Strait Crime-Fighting and Mutual Judicial Assistance platform, normal handling methods for joint crime-fighting cases involving transnational telecommunications fraud cases.
TAO Director Zhang responded that he would inform the relevant authorities on the matters raised by the Taiwan side regarding personal security notification, family visits, and the sending of a delegation from the relevant authorities to the Mainland to understand the case. He also said that Minister Hsia 's proposal on discussing, through appropriate channels, cross-strait cooperation in combating transnational telecommunications fraud is a positive recommendation and that communication will continue through the agreement channels.
Finally, Minister Hsia again stressed the hope that the Mainland will reply soon on the matter of the delegation visit to the Mainland and promptly repatriate the 45 Taiwan nationals detained in the Mainland. During the hotline call, Minister Hsia and Director Zhang also extensively exchanged views on the development of cross-strait relations.