Taiwan’s immigration agency backtracks and removes list of rules banning Hong Kong residents from protesting
- Taiwan immigration agency says notice published on Tuesday prohibiting Hongkongers from political speeches and media interviews was ‘wrongly uploaded’
- Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, who moved to Taiwan in 2019, says activities calling to overthrow the Chinese Communist Party are still allowed
Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, who moved to Taiwan in 2019 after alleging he had been kidnapped by mainland Chinese agents, said activities calling for the “overthrow” of the Chinese Communist Party were still allowed on the self-ruled island.
A document published by Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency on Tuesday specified nine activities prohibited for residents from the Chinese Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of Hong Kong and Macau. It was taken down soon after the agency received inquiries from reporters at the BBC.
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“Do not participate in public activities of a political nature, such as parades, protests, speeches and distribution of fliers … Do not accept media invitations to express opinions on television (or radio) programmes, such as call-in programmes,” the list stated.
It did not specify whether the rules for “Hong Kong and Macau residents” were applicable only to visitors from the region, or those with residency in Taiwan as well. The relevant laws and penalties were also unspecified.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council has since said the guidelines were “wrongly uploaded”, but added that residents from the two cities must abide by local laws and regulations when in Taiwan.
“It is understood that the [immigration agency] has removed this notice. Whether there will be a list of illegal activities in the future for the reference of Hong Kong and Macau residents is still under discussion,” the council said in response to the BBC’s inquiries.
“If Hong Kong and Macau residents come to Taiwan for a short-term stay, their activities should be consistent with the purpose of the permit,” said Chiu Chui-cheng, vice-chairman of the council, adding that no new prohibitions or restrictions had been added.
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According to the page, SAR residents also cannot enter, sneak around or take photos or videos at military and national defence venues, and are banned from going to laboratories intended for biotech and major scientific research.
It also warned against violating Taiwanese laws, including those pertaining to state secrets, infiltration and national security.
The guidelines were found to be almost identical to another document published previously, which outlined activities prohibited for tourists from mainland China.
Lam, who managed a bookstore in Causeway Bay and said he was targeted by Beijing in 2015 for selling titles banned on the mainland, told Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS that human rights activities of “universal value” were still permitted on the self-governing island.
“There are also some political activities that [we] can participate in … for example, human rights movement, it is a universal value; for example, we participate in overthrowing the Communist Party [of China],” Lam said.
But he said the document was “problematic” because it was not clear on details, and so was withdrawn.
Lam, who frequently speaks to Taiwanese media about the lives of fellow immigrants from Hong Kong, said many had left Taiwan because of immigration regulations, while others who had intended to make the move had cancelled their plans.
