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.
