By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter
Recently amended Chinese laws could jeopardize the judicial rights of Taiwanese in China, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said yesterday.
In addition to seeking closer economic ties with China, President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration should pay closer attention to Beijing’s amended criminal code and detention regulations, Cheng told a press conference.
According to Cheng, a recent amendment to China’s criminal code has legalized secret arrests. The amendment, which was promulgated on Feb. 23 and is scheduled to take effect on April 1, demands that police inform the families of the people they arrest “in a timely manner,” rather than within 12 hours as previously stipulated, and does not hold police accountable for abusing detainees, she said.
“Judging from China’s poor human rights record, we have every reason to worry about the potential impact of these amendments on Taiwanese nationals who are currently detained or will be detained in the future,” she said.
While human rights are a priority in Taiwan, human rights conditions in China are at their worst level in a decade as Chinese authorities concoct ridiculous causes of death for prisoners who die in detention centers, she said.
A Taiwanese national was beaten to death in a Hong Kong prison in 2009, Cheng said.
The lawmaker urged the government to include human rights issues in future negotiations with Beijing, and urged China to allow Taiwanese officials to visit Taiwanese nationals detained in China.
Taiwan-China relations are conducted under the framework of the cross-strait judicial assistance agreement, Ministry of Justice prosecutor Fan Cheng-chung (范振中) said, adding that the ministry plans to set up an emergency hotline for Taiwanese nationals who travel or reside in China.