by Dave Chamberlain, Staff Writer
On October 1st, a group of Hong Kongers in Taiwan made a protest speech at the exit square of the Ximending MRT Station and were disrupted by a Chinese couple surnamed Yao who damaged the black flag and made provocative remarks. The Immigration Department of the Ministry of the Interior issued a press release stating that two mainlanders harassed the activities of Hong Kong people in Ximending on October 1. Taipei City Police had assisted in jointly investigating and arresting them.
The two mainland tourists admitted that when they entered Taiwan at the end of September, they already knew that their relatives in Taiwan were planning to visit the mainland therefore they obviously did not meet the criteria for a family visit to Taiwan. The Immigration Department said that after the investigation, it was confirmed that the Chinese the surnamed-Yao and that the couple had violated the regulations on permits for people from mainland areas to enter Taiwan. Immigration then revoked their stay permits and cancelled their entry and exit permits in accordance with the law. On 0ctober 3, the Immigration Department sent personnel to their hotel and forcibly take the couple to Taoyuan Airport where the two boarded a plane back to the mainland.
The Immigration Department pointed out that the competent authorities have clear regulations for people from the mainland to apply to come to Taiwan, and there must be no words or deeds that harm Taiwan’s dignity and belittle Taiwan’s status during their stay in Taiwan. They said that they will continue to strengthen the management of the flow of foreign visitors, review applications in accordance with the law, uphold a solemn law enforcement and administer the laws to ensure healthy and orderly cross-strait exchanges.
The incident started when Hong Kong people in Taiwan applied for permission to hold a gathering at Exit 1 of Taipei MRT Ximen Station on the 1st of this month, setting up a black flag of “Liberating Hong Kong”, and about 20 people gathered at the scene to protest against China’s infringement of democracy, freedom and human rights in Hong Kong and other places.
Before the start of the HK protest action, the two mainlanders vandalized the flag set up by the Hong Kongers, one of the men shouted that ”today is China’s national day and I cannot allow this kind of flag to be displayed”. The police immediately stepped forward to stop them and then asked them to leave the scene. Police then handed over to the immigration department for processing deportation.
