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GOVERNMENT URGES BEIJING FAIR TREATMENT FOR ALLEGED SPIES

2004-01-14 21:19:22

    Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) A government spokesman called on the mainland Chinese authorities Wednesday to openly and fairly probe allegations surrounding seven Taiwan businessmen who were arrested last month in the mainland with charges of spying for Taiwan.

    Lin Chia-lung, spokesman for the Executive Yuan, made the call after the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in Taipei received a fax from the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) confirming that the seven businessmen had been detained for questioning and giving a detailed account of each one's background and current situation.

    Saying that the mainland authorities should investigate the cases with fairness and transparency to ensure the personal safety of the businessmen, Lin promised that the government will do its utmost to help the seven men.

    If they are proved to be innocent, they should immediately be freed, Lin demanded, and urged the public not to dance to Beijing's tune until the truth has been uncovered.

    According to Lin, the families of six of the seven businessmen have denied to the SEF that the men were gathering intelligence on the mainland for the Taiwan military authorities.

    The businessmen -- Tung Tai-ping, Chang Yu-jen, Wang Chang-yung, Chang Keng-huan, Fu Hung-chang, Lin Chien-shan and Lee Hsiao-lien -- were nabbed between Dec. 4-15 in Guangdong, Fujian, Anhui and Hainan provinces under suspicion of collecting sensitive state secrets for Taiwan.

    SEF Vice Secretary-General Yen Wan-ching gave his assurance that the men are genuine businessmen who have never conducted activities related to espionage operations. He said that the families of six of them have asked for SEF help and added that the SEF has already sent a letter to the ARATS demanding their full protection.

    Yen said that no evidence has been found to show that the men are spies and the mainland authorities should clear their allegations as soon as possible and fully protect their interests by allowing their families to visit them and by providing them with necessary assistance.

    Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Military Intelligence Bureau described the detentions "all out retaliation" for Taiwan's recent breaking of a mainland Chinese spy network.

    Tsai Huan-lan, a legislative caucus whip of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, voiced grave concern for the businessmen and said he strongly suspected that the mainland authorities' announcement of the seven men's alleged charges of espionage is a Beijing plot to rig Taiwan's presidential election in March.

    Lee Chia-ching, a caucus leader of the main opposition Kuomintang at the Legislative Yuan, called on the government to deal with the matter cautiously. He urged the Taiwan authorities to handle the issue adequately in order to avoid complications arising from the dispute.

    Chen Chien-ming, a legislative caucus whip of the opposition Taiwan Solidarity Union, said that businessmen from Taiwan should stay out of politics in the mainland, where he said the lack of any rule of law makes it impossible to protect human rights.

(By Flor Wang)

ENDITEM/J