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Central News Agency (Taiwan): Taiwan Vice President Meets Congressman Tom Lantos, Hopes US Government will Address the Violent Deportations of Taiwanese Citizens from Hong Kong
(Clearwisdom.net) Central News Agency reported on July 5, 2007, that a
top Taiwanese official, Wu Chao-hsieh, said today that several days ago, the
Hong Kong government unreasonably deported several hundred Taiwanese people who
held valid visas, even using violence in the process. When Taiwan's Vice
President Annette Lu passed through San Francisco, she urged her friends in the
US to ask the US government to take the Hong Kong government's international
violence seriously, and pay attention to Hong Kong's worsening human rights
conditions since the Chinese Communist Party took power there ten years ago. Vice President Lu is visiting Central American countries that enjoy
diplomatic relations with Taiwan. On a brief stop in the United States, she
spoke to those she met about the Hong Kong deportations, hoping that the United
States will pay attention. Vice President Lu explained that several hundred Taiwanese people went to
Hong Kong to visit on July 1. They held legitimate passports and entry visas,
but were deported by the Hong Kong government at the airport, some violently.
Vice President Lu also stressed that the Taiwan government cannot tolerate this.
In addition to condemning Hong Kong's international violence, Taiwan also calls
on the international community to seriously consider Hong Kong's retrogression
in human rights conditions after the tenth anniversary under Chinese Communist
Party rule. She hopes that the Hong Kong government will take steps to improve
human rights. Wu Chao-hsieh said that Vice President Lu explained the situation at
breakfast with the Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs Tom
Lantos and his wife. Vice President Lu said that the deportation of Taiwanese people, not only
involves the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of human rights in Hong
Kong, but more importantly it concerns Taiwanese people's right to free access
to Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government's unreasonable treatment has persecuted
innocent people in Taiwan. Taiwan hopes the U.S. government will address this
issue. Wu Chao-hsieh also relayed that Rep. Tom Lantos immediately expressed his
concern over this issue, and said that this should not happen in a civilized
society. Lantos promised to look for an opportunity to express appropriate
concern to the United States administration, and also expressed hope that the
Hong Kong government will act to improve human rights. Posting date: 7/7/2007 |