Taiwanese tourist Chang An-wei (張安薇), who had been held for ransom in the southern Philippines for a month, returned to Taiwan yesterday afternoon after being released by her captors.
She was accompanied by her brother Chang Ta- kung (張大公) and Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) agents when she arrived at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport from Manila. Television footage showed her dressed in a loose T-shirt and wearing sunglasses, walking to a minibus parked at the airport, waving briefly to the media and giving a thumbs-up sign. She was subsequently transported to the National Taiwan University Hospital for medical checkups.
“I just want to say I deeply appreciate the Philippine military for giving me such a big help and assistance to rescue me. Thank you very much,” Chang An-wei said in English in a video report aired yesterday on several Taiwanese TV news channels.
Photo: AFP
Chang Ta- kung told a 4:30pm press conference hosted by the CIB at the airport that his sister was not abused during her captivity and that the kidnappers were only after money.
Chang Ta- kung thanked the Philippine National Police’s Anti-Kidnapping Group for helping him to communicate with the kidnappers and his sister during her captivity. He also expressed gratitude to the CIB, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Malaysian and Philippine police authorities for their work in the rescue mission.
While CIB Commissioner Lin Teh-hua (林德華) confirmed at the press conference that the kidnappers were a group of Abu Sayyaf rebels — a militant Islamist separatist group based in and around the southern Philippines — both he and Chang Ta- kung declined to reveal details about the rescue operation and the ransom negotiations out of concern for the safety of people involved in the mission.
Standing next to Chang Ta- kung at the press conference was Gene Yu (余靖), whom Chang Ta-kong introduced as a good friend of the Chang family who had played a role in assisting Chang An-wei’s rescue.
It was later revealed that Yu is President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) nephew, a former US Green Beret who graduated from the US Military Academy at West Point and who has extensive experience in the field, including assisting in operations against Abu Sayyaf.
The 58-year-old woman was kidnapped by Philippine gunmen on Nov. 13 while on vacation in a villa on the resort island of Pom Pom off the East Malaysian state of Sabah.
Her 57-year-old male companion, Hsu Li-min (許立民), was shot and killed during the armed attack.
Since then, her family and Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as police authorities, have been seeking assistance through various channels to rescue Chang An-wei.
After her abduction, Chang An-wei was taken to the southern Philippine island province of Sulu, which is adjacent to Malaysia.
Philippine police and marines found her on Friday in a village on the Philippine island of Jolo after they were tipped off by local residents, according to Sulu provincial commander Colonel Jose Cenabre. Philippine marines on Friday afternoon took her back to Manila.
Abu Sayyaf, which is thought to have received funding from al-Qaeda in the past, is notorious for kidnapping.
Early this month, Jordanian journalist Baker Atyani was freed by Abu Sayyaf after more than a year in jungle captivity. He was lured him into one of their camps with a promise of an interview. Militants are still holding more than a dozen captives, including two European bird watchers who were kidnapped last year in Tawi-Tawi Province.
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
SUPPORT: Arms sales to NATO Plus countries such as Japan, South Korea and Israel only have to be approved by the US Congress if they exceed US$25m The US should amend a law to add Taiwan to the list of “NATO Plus” allies and streamline future arms sales, a US commission said on Tuesday in its annual report to the US Congress. The recommendation was made in the annual report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), which contained chapters on US-China economic and trade ties, security relations, and Taiwan and Hong Kong. In the chapter on Taiwan, the commission urged the US Congress to “amend the Arms Export Control Act of 1976 to include Taiwan on the list of ‘NATO Plus’ recipients,” referring to
Minister of Labor Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) said she would tender her resignation following criticism of her handling of alleged bullying by Ministry of Labor Workforce Development Agency branch director Hsieh Yi-jung (謝宜容) resulting in the death of an employee. The ministry yesterday gave Hsieh two demerits and said she is subject to review by the Disciplinary Court. The severest possible punishment would be her removal from office and being barred from government jobs indefinitely. Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang (蔡孟良) also received a major demerit and was transferred to another position. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) issued a formal apology
RSS