Taiwanese activists who planned to join July 1 rally denied entry to Hong Kong
Taiwanese activists Lin Chi-hua and Chen Wei-ting, who plan to join July 1 rally in Hong Kong, were refused entry, raising accusations of political motives.
Two Taiwanese activists who plan to join tomorrow's rally in Hong Kong were refused entry yesterday, raising accusations of political motives.
Lin Chi-hua, an academic at Soochow University in Taipei who is close to the pan-democrats in Hong Kong, and Chen Wei-ting, a leading figure in the Sunflower movement that mobilised thousands to occupy Taiwan's legislative to stop a trade services deal with the mainland, had flown in separately.
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But both were deported back to Taiwan soon after their planes landed at Chek Lap Kok airport. Speaking from Taiwan on his return, Lin said: "The immigration officers said that my permit was not valid.
"They questioned me for two hours about the purpose of my visit … and then they forced me onto a plane back to Taiwan."
He said he used a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, known as "Tai Bao Zheng". This permit supposedly allows Taiwanese a visa-free stay in the city for up to seven days.
He suspected that the Immigration Department, under pressure from Beijing, had a blacklist.