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Taiwan warns religious practitioners of risks in China amid reports of detentions

  • 04 December, 2024
  • Amber Hatfield
Taiwan warns religious practitioners of risks in China amid reports of detentions
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) has warned Taiwanese citizens, especially religious practitioners, to exercise extreme caution when traveling to China, Hong Kong, and Macau. (Photo: CNA)

Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) has warned Taiwanese citizens, especially religious practitioners, to exercise extreme caution when traveling to China, Hong Kong, and Macau. His statement follows reports of detentions involving Taiwanese followers of Yiguandao, a Chinese religious movement.

During a legislative session on Wednesday, Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) revealed that three Taiwanese Yiguandao practitioners were arrested in China this October. This follows a December 2023 incident in which another Yiguandao follower was reportedly detained. Efforts to contact China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits about these cases have gone unanswered, prompting concerns among lawmakers about the safety of Taiwanese citizens traveling to China.

Chiu says there are increasing risks faced by Taiwanese citizens traveling to the region, especially under China’s newly enacted 22 articles to the Anti-Secession Law. The law's broad provisions now allow for life-long prosecution, extraterritorial jurisdiction, trials in absentia, capital punishment, and property confiscation. Chiu says that individuals who do not support Beijing’s unification policies could fall within the law’s scope, posing significant legal and personal risks.

Chiu urges Taiwanese religious practitioners to consider the potential dangers of traveling to China, saying that China is not a place with religious freedoms. Chiu says citizens should carefully evaluate the necessity of their travel and recommends that anyone who must travel should register on the MAC’s system for Taiwanese citizens visiting China, Hong Kong, and Macau. The MAC has also launched a consultation hotline to provide assistance with the registration process and offer safety advice.

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