Taiwan’s KMT opposition accuses President Tsai Ing-wen of ‘paying lip service’ to Hong Kong over failure to pass refugee law
- Party says failure to do more to help those fleeing the city shows she is ‘lying’ about her support for the pro-democracy movement
- Tsai is well ahead of the Kuomintang candidate Han Kuo-yu, with her vocal support for the protests seen as a key factor
Taiwan’s main opposition party has seized on President Tsai Ing-wen’s refusal to implement a long-delayed refugee bill that would allow Hong Kong protesters fleeing arrest in the city to settle on the island.
The Kuomintang (KMT) has raised the issue ahead of next month’s presidential election to attack Tsai, accusing her of “lying” about her support for the pro-democracy protests to win votes.
Last week, Hong Kong student representatives, including Baptist University Student Union president Keith Fong Chung-yin, visited the self-ruled island to lobby government representatives for greater measures to protect Hong Kong residents looking to settle there long-term, including speeding up passage of the refugee bill.
It is estimated that about 200 Hong Kong protesters have arrived in Taiwan to avoid arrest since the anti-extradition protests began in June, with many staying on short-term tourist visas that last for a maximum of 30 days but can be extended.
Taiwan has no formal legislation for processing asylum applications but its laws promise to help Hong Kong and Macau citizens “whose safety and liberty are immediately threatened for political reasons”.
Fong, who visited Taiwan with members of the Hong Kong Higher Institutions International Affairs delegation between Monday and Thursday last week, expressed concern over the government’s failure to make progress on the matter.