Reporter : Xiao Jing
Publisher : Radio Free Asia Chinese, re-produced on NTDTV
Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Image : The Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council will set up a "Taiwan-Hong Kong Service Exchange Office" on July 1 to provide advisory services such as education, employment, investment, and immigration to Hong Kong people legally entering Taiwan. (RFA picture)
In Taiwan, Chen Mingtong, Chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, announced the "Hong Kong Humanitarian Aid and Care Action Project" on Thursday (18th) and established the "Taiwan-Hong Kong Service Exchange Office" on July 1. ", to provide Hong Kong people with advisory services such as education, employment, investment, and immigration. Chen Mingtong emphasized that the recipients are limited to those who enter Taiwan and Hong Kong legally, and those who illegally smuggle into Taiwan are not within the scope of assistance.
The Chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council Chen Mingtong said that the "Hong Kong version of the National Security Law" caused a change in Hong Kong. President Tsai Ing-wen specifically instructed on 27 May 2020 that the administrative department should propose a plan of action for humanitarian assistance in Hong Kong to provide the necessary assistance to the people of Hong Kong. The government maintains universal values and supports the determination of Hong Kong people to strive for freedom and democracy.
Chen Mingtong said that according to the instructions of the President and Dean Su Zhenchang of the Executive Yuan, the MAC has planned to complete the "Hong Kong Humanitarian Aid and Care Action Project", the establishment of an inter-departmental coordination project to integrate relevant resources, and the government shall note the necessary funds for the entry. There are Hong Kong people in need of assistance in Taiwan, providing related services and basic care. The project has completed the relevant administrative procedures, and the project office will begin operations on 1 July 2020.
Chen Mingtong pointed out that the assistance provided by the Project Office includes three projects, namely, "Enhancement of Hong Kong People to Taiwan Service Project", "Aid and Care Project", and "Multinational Corporations and International Corporation Groups to Taiwan Project". In addition to providing Hong Kong people with employment, advancement, investment and other consulting services, after Hong Kong people legally enter Taiwan, there are 18 cases that comply with the "Hong Kong and Macao Regulations", and a special case is taken in accordance with Article 25 of the "Hong Kong and Macao Regulations Implementation Rules".
Chen Mingtong said, "The simplest premise is that he enters Taiwan, we only provide assistance according to the law. We provide assistance only, is supported, not rescue. This is a big difference. It is not rescue, we are supported. We only provide necessary assistance when there is such a situation.
Some media have questioned whether the brave factions who are still stranded in Hong Kong or have been restricted from exiting the territory are still in the scope of special services if they arrive in Taiwan by smuggling.
The reporter asked: If they were restricted from leaving the country, or their documents were detained, but they came in by some means of smuggling. They have legal documents but not so-called legal entry, will we rule out help? Or depends on the case to see his needs?
Chen Mingtong said: Basically, this law is very clear. He must enter the country legally. In addition, we are giving assistance, I repeat, this is not rescue, is supported, legal authorization can only achieve this level.
The DPP issued a statement expressing support for the MAC to immediately launch a humanitarian aid project for Hong Kong people on the basis of existing laws, and continue to assist the people in dialogue with the government to provide more feasible suggestions for improving measures to assist Hong Kong people and respond to changes in the situation in Hong Kong.
DPP spokesman Liao Taixiang reiterated that Hong Kong is facing a critical moment of survival. The DPP’s determination to support Hong Kong’s freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law and to take care of the people of Hong Kong will not change.
A youth from a border town composed of Hong Kong students studying in Taiwan issued a statement expressing gratitude to the MAC for the assistance information given to the protesters in Taiwan, which is more specific than previously announced. We also look forward to the cooperation between the government and civil organizations with experience in assisting the protesters.
However, many civil society organizations believe that the content of the mechanism is not sufficient. Based on past experience in assisting individual cases, the government must propose that the current plan has not yet been improved. Organizations including Youth in Frontier City, Taiwan Human Rights Promotion Association and others announced that they will go to the Executive Yuan on 19 June 2020 to petition for the completion of the mechanism as soon as possible before the project office officially begins operations in July.
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