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- The SEF is carrying out planning and arrangements regarding the judicial exchange delegation, with the heads and deputy heads of relevant competent agencies serving as delegation members
- After the signing of the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, the mechanism for handling related matters has been established and both sides can contact each other any time through the liaison window
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MAC Regular Press Briefing
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Briefer : Johnnason Liu, Deputy Minister
Date : August 06, 2009
Location : Taipei |
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The SEF is carrying out planning and arrangements regarding the judicial exchange
delegation, with the heads and deputy heads of relevant competent agencies serving
as delegation members
QUESTION: Will a SEF judicial exchange delegation make a return
visit to mainland China in August? Will there be someone leading the delegation?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ Following the signing of the “Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial
Mutual Assistance Agreement,” a mainland Chinese delegation composed of officials
responsible for maintaining the liaison window and for implementing the mechanism
visited Taiwan in June to engage in informal talks and follow-up discussions.
■ To handle the issue concerning joint crime-fighting and judicial mutual assistance,
the SEF is planning to invite the Judicial Yuan, the Ministry of Justice, the
Criminal Investigation Bureau, the Coast Guard Administration and the Investigation
Bureau to organize a delegation in August or September to travel together to
the Mainland. In this regard, the SEF will work together with the relevant agencies
to carry out planning and arrangements. Currently, according to the initial
planning, the delegation will be headed by the SEF Deputy Secretary-General.
We also hope that the heads and deputy heads of relevant competent agencies
that have an understanding of the afore-mentioned issue will also participate.
After the signing of the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual
Assistance Agreement, the handling mechanism has been established and both sides
can contact each other any time through the liaison window
QUESTION: On July 31 a Falun Gong practitioner Shao Yuhua—
a Mainland spouse of Taiwanese people—returned to mainland China to visit relatives
and was arrested. Will this incident be part of the discussions to be engaged
in by the judicial exchange delegation in August? Will there be any prevention
and solution measures set up to deal with similar problems involving human rights,
religious criminals and family visits by Mainland spouses?
DEPUTY MINISTER LIU:
■ Both sides have continued all long to engage in joint crime-fighting, the
exchange of criminal information and intelligence as well as judicial assistance.
The MOJ has already begun to get involved in the process in its role as the
Agreement’s liaison window.
■ When the case of Ms. Shao Yuhua took place, in addition to requesting the
SEF to get in contact with the ARATS as soon as possible, the MAC rendered its
assistance with a formal official document sent via the MOJ’s liaison window.
Ms. Shao’s lawyer indicated that Ms. Shao has made contact with her husband
today and has arrived in Hong Kong. She should be returning to the Taoyuan International
Airport around evening.
■ Under the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and judicial Mutual Assistance
Agreement, religious, military or political offenders are not considered subject
to ordinary repatriation. With regard to Ms. Shao’s case, we do not regard her
as a religious criminal in accordance with the ROC’s laws.
■ Since the said Agreement has been signed and the mechanism for handling related
matters has been established, if any problem arises during the implementation
process, both sides can get in contact through the liaison window and inquire
about the direction of problem solving. That is, there is no need to wait for
a face-to-face meeting before handling related matters. If, however, the matters
involve overall aspects or require bilateral discussion, then possibly in this
case a face-to-face meeting would be required for a mutual exchange of views.