PRC ASYLUM SEEKERS IN TAIWAN TREATED ADEQUATELY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TAIPEI 001384 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2023 TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV PREL CH TW SUBJECT: PRC ASYLUM SEEKERS IN TAIWAN TREATED ADEQUATELY BUT SOME EXPRESS FRUSTRATION REF: A. TAIPEI 1368 ¶B. TAIPEI 0799 ¶C. TAIPEI 0561 Classified By: AIT Director Stephen M. Young, Reasons: 1.4(B/D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Taiwan authorities provide haven (in theory temporary but in practice indefinite) and modest subsistence to PRC asylum seekers they determine are bona fide political dissidents who would face persecution if repatriated. Without a refugee law, the government here says it cannot approve requests for permanent asylum in Taiwan, but it does assist asylum seekers in forwarding requests for resettlement in other countries. Currently, AIT is aware of five PRC dissidents in this category, including Cai Lujun and Wu Yalin, who climbed over an AIT wall and requested political asylum on September 10. (reftel A) Cai and Wu expressed frustration over the small amount of their subsistence payment and at being unable to work or to have a standard ID, which would make their situation here more convenient and comfortable. Cai and Wu, who previously protested at the Presidential Office, may hope media attention will pressure the Taiwan government to improve their treatment, for example, by increasing their subsistence and allowing them to work legally. Following the incident at AIT, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) publicly pushed for passage of the draft refugee law and other measures to help the asylum seekers, but near-term prospects for such steps remain unclear. End Summary. PRC Political Dissidents -------------- ¶2. (C) On September 10, PRC nationals Cai Lujun and Wu Yalin climbed over an AIT wall and eventually held up a sign with the words "Political Asylum." They were taken to a small police station adjacent to AIT, where they were questioned by police and AIT. AIT did not press charges for trespassing and Cai and Wu were turned over to the MAC, which released them almost immediately after departing the police station. Cai and Wu are part of what, according to press reports, is now a total of five PRC democracy activists who have arrived in Taiwan in recent years, requested political asylum, and been allowed to stay. After verifying that such individuals are bona fide political dissidents, Taiwan,s policy is to give them temporary haven, provide modest subsistence, and seek their resettlement in a third country. Taiwan also contacts UNHCR on behalf of asylum seekers. ¶3. (C) Listed by date of arrival in Taiwan, the five PRC political dissidents named by the media are: Chen Rongli - January 2004, Yan Peng - June 2004, Yan Jun - January 2006, Cai Lujun - July 2007, Wu Yalin - December 2007. Our understanding is that Wu entered Taiwan legally as part of a tour group, whereas the other four entered Taiwan illegally. To our knowledge, Taiwan has not yet been able to secure a resettlement country for any of these five dissidents. In another case, according to press reports, Taiwan deported PRC national Jia Jia to Hong Kong in OCTOBER 2006 after Jia left his tour group and requested political asylum in Taiwan. Other PRC Asylum Seekers -------------- ¶4. (C) In addition to the PRC democracy activists, there are also at least four PRC people affiliated with Falungong who are seeking asylum. We recently received a copy of a fax dated August 25, 2008, from TECRO Representative Jason Yuan to AIT/W. The fax contains information on four PRC individuals who "would like to seek political asylum from the U.S. government." The four individuals are Mr. Li Xiaozhu, Mr. Fang Longchao, Mr. Tang Xuejun, and Ms. Sun Xiaomei. Policy Toward PRC Asylum Seekers -------------- TAIPEI 00001384 002 OF 003 ¶5. (C) Taiwan maintains that it cannot approve requests for permanent asylum in Taiwan because it does not have a refugee (asylum) law. A draft refugee law was submitted to the Legislative Yuan (LY) by the previous DPP administration last year, but the KMT-controlled LY did not act on it. Although MAC has stated that the bill is being resubmitted and that it is pushing for early passage, a National Immigration Agency official told AIT that he was not sure when or if the bill would be placed on the LY agenda. Therefore, it is not clear whether the LY might act on the refugee bill this session. Under Taiwan,s current policy, PRC dissidents are in an indefinite state of limbo because they have only temporary though extendible 3-month visas and do not have the right to work nor do they have the government-issued IDs that people here need to conduct much ordinary business. (Note: We understand that the hesitancy in adopting a refugee-asylum law may be attributable in part to an unwillingness to encourage "refugees" from mainland China who could flood Taiwan if permitted easily to resettle here.) ¶6. (C) Cai and Wu have complained that the subsistence they receive from the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) ) NTD 10,000 (a little more than USD 300) per month ) is enough to pay for food or housing but not for both. We understand from MAC that the other three PRC dissidents, who have been here longer, are receiving NTD 20,000 per month because MAC, realizing they were unlikely to be leaving Taiwan this year, requested a regular budget item for their subsistence. Cai and Wu, on the other hand, are paid from a smaller pot, consisting of emergency funds and funds redistributed from other MAC accounts. ¶7. (C) Cai and Wu have made efforts to call media attention to their situation and their feelings of frustration. Prior to climbing over AIT's wall, Cai and Wu tried to hold a hunger strike protest outside the Presidential Office in early July. Cai also entered the Canadian trade office this summer seeking asylum but was persuaded to drop the effort and leave. Following a statement to the press by AIT that Cai's case should continue to be handled by Taiwan authorities, Cai publicly criticized the U.S. So far, however, most of the Taiwan media and public have shown only limited interest in their story. One of the main goals of Cai and Wu may be to pressure the Taiwan government to give them better treatment, for example, a larger subsistence and permission to work. ¶8. (SBU) Following the incident at AIT, the MAC spokesman expressed hope that the LY would pass the refugee law during the upcoming session which begins September 19. In addition, he said MAC has requested the Council of Labor Affairs to work on a plan that would allow Chinese dissidents who have applied for resettlement in a third country to legally work in Taiwan while they are awaiting resettlement. The MAC has also asked the National Immigration Agency (NIA) to find a legal basis that would allow the PRC dissidents to have a more convenient stay in Taiwan. PRC Asylum Seekers Receiving Adequate Treatment -------------- -- ¶9. (C) Although Cai and Wu have expressed frustration, they do not appear to face any risk of mistreatment or persecution, serious hardship, or repatriation while in Taiwan. From a humanitarian standpoint, MAC seems to be doing an adequate job in meeting their most immediate needs. If Taiwan takes the various steps recommended by MAC, that would help to improve substantially the situation of Cai, Wu, and the others. For the cases of Cai and Wu, we do not see any U.S. interest other than humanitarian concern to monitor that they continue to receive appropriate treatment by the Taiwan authorities. Cai Lujun -------------- ¶10. (C) We have reported previously on Cai (reftels) and are TAIPEI 00001384 003 OF 003 not planning to take further action on his case at this time. MAC informed us it has asked the Foreign Ministry, on his behalf, to forward to us his request for asylum in the United States. However, we have not yet received such a request, which normally would come from TECRO. Wu Yalin -------------- ¶11. (C) This is our first contact with Wu Yalin, who, MAC told us, entered Taiwan legally on a tourist visa about nine months ago and then requested political asylum in Taiwan. When Taiwan officials asked him where he wanted to go for resettlement, he did not express a wish to resettle in the U.S. Wu told AIT he was jailed in China for nine years for opposing (the local government). Although subsequently cleared, he said he was jailed and beaten when he tried to seek restitution for his imprisonment. Subsequently, he was sent home to Sichuan where he distributed a Falungong publication: "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party." Wu said he decided to flee after he heard the authorities were planning to send him to "Reeducation Through Labor" for three years. Wu argued that Taiwan should accept his application for asylum and he also complained about his meager subsistence allowance and not having the right to work. Wu said he was requesting asylum because he believed in the U.S. We are not planning at this time to take further action on Wu's case. YOUNG