Allegations of spying against National Police University associate professor Wu Chang-yu (吳彰裕) are only the tip of the iceberg, members of the Falun Gong movement said on Saturday.
Wu, who teaches Chinese political history, was arraigned for questioning on Thursday on charges of allegedly spying for China and passing information to Chinese officials about Chinese dissidents, pro-Tibetan activists and the Falun Gong movement in Taiwan.
Wu told prosecutors the information he offered was not confidential and was readily available from multiple sources.
According to National Taiwan University economics professor Chang Ching-hsi (張清溪), who also serves as the chairman of the Taiwanese Falun Dafa Association, the personal information of individuals who openly criticize China for its oppression of Falun Gong practitioners is easily accessible and computer hacking attacks on Web sites related to Falun Gong are common.
The Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) in Shanghai recently detained a Falun Gong member who was not an activist, Chang said, adding that the security officials knew detailed information about the member and recited them to the detained man to intimidate him.
China is using its power to gather information and Taiwanese should be on guard, Chang said.
Ko Yi-chun (柯宜君), another Falun Gong practitioner, said she was present in 2007 when Hong Kong police detained 500 Falun Gong members at the airport who had gone to the territory on the 10th anniversary of its hand over to Chinese control.
All those arrested were returned to Taiwan.
The incident became ever more controversial after Falun Gong members filed an appeal with the Hong Kong Supreme Court, but their appeal was overturned, which some analysts said was a warning sign that the independence of the territory’s judicial system was regressing.
Ko said that after an immigration officer had scanned her passport information into the computer, a police officer came over and took her into a questioning room without giving a reason, adding that after about 10 hours of detention, they wrapped her up in a blanket and forcibly sent her back to Taiwan.
Falun Gong is very liberal and there is no ceremony conducted upon joining nor is there a list of practitioners, Ko said, adding that members are free to come and go as they please.
There are rumors that the Chinese Communist Party has drawn up a blacklist using personal information gathered through “special” channels, which enabled Hong Kong police to accurately pinpoint Taiwanese who have associations with Falun Gong, Ko said.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff writer
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS