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Taiwanese fisherman detained in the
Philippines
By Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff reporter
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Southern Taiwan Office secretary Tsao Sung-mao, left, yesterday speaks to the
wife of Pingtung County fisherman Tsai Po, who was detained by the Philippine
coast guard on Tuesday.
Photo: CNA
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed
yesterday that a Taiwanese fisherman has been detained in the Philippines since
Tuesday, but offered no confirmation of allegations that he had been trespassing
in Philippine waters.
James Chou (©P¿oµØ), deputy director-general of the ministry¡¦s Department of East
Asian and Pacific Affairs, said Taipei has lodged three demands regarding the
case:
Manila has been asked to provide a report on the seizure of Tsai Po (½²ªi) as soon
as possible, treat him humanely and not file trespassing charges against him
before the situation is clarified.
Chou said Manila had agreed to all three requests.
He said Tsai told the ministry that he had been arrested by several armed
Filipinos while he was resting on Ditarem, an islet in the Philippines¡¦ Batanes
Islands at 3pm on Tuesday after diving for lobsters.
Tsai was then taken to a detention center on another islet where he has been
held in custody, while his vessel was taken to the seaport of Basco, Chou said.
Tsai told the ministry that the police had not told him why he is being
detained, Chou said.
A report in the Philippines¡¦ Daily Inquirer quoted Philippine Coast Guard
spokesperson Armand Balilo as saying that Tsai ¡§did not have pertinent documents
and could not explain why he was within Philippine territory.¡¨
Chou said that just because Tsai¡¦s fishing boat was operating in waters south of
latitude 20? north did not mean he was within the Philippines¡¦ exclusive
territory.
¡§The incident happened in disputed waters in the overlapping exclusive economic
zones of Taiwan and the Philippines,¡¨ Chou added.
A provisional line in the disputed waters at a latitude of 20? north was
unilaterally established by Taiwan in 2004 as the farthest point south to which
the Coast Guard Administration regularly provides ships to safeguard Taiwanese
fishermen.
According to Next TV, Tsai said by telephone that he had been handcuffed and
tied up during his detention, and had been denied food for more than 10 hours.
¡§It was despicable,¡¨ Tsai told the TV station.
Chou said the ministry has lodged a protest over Tsai being denied food and
urged the Philippines to treat him humanely.
The problem was addressed immediately, Chou said.
Following the fatal shooting of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (¬x¥Û¦¨) by
Philippine coast guard personnel on May 9 in the disputed waters, both countries
agreed to principles for handling fishing disputes at a meeting on June 14.
Both sides agreed to refrain from the use of force in law enforcement actions
and that one side should notify the other whenever a pursuit, boarding,
inspection, arrest, detention, or related administrative or judicial procedures
are carried out against fishing boats and crews from the other country.
Chou said government agencies were notified about Tsai¡¦s detention at about 5pm
on Wednesday. The ministry was sure that no violence or force was used in this
case, Chou said.
Provincial police officer Victor de Sagon told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that
Tsai was among a group of suspects who were illegally fishing just off Siayan
Island.
¡§They have been doing this for a long time. This is rampant poaching,¡¨ De Sagon
said.
Tsai will be charged with poaching, which is punishable by a US$100,000 fine,
confiscation of his catch, fishing equipment and fishing vessel, the officer
said.
He denied reports that Tsai had been treated inappropriately.
¡§We are not violating his rights. He is being fed well, he underwent a medical
check-up, and he is in regular contact with his wife and the [de facto]
Taiwanese embassy in Manila,¡¨ De Sagon said.
Tsai, contacted by telephone by AFP from Taipei, said he did not understand why
he had been detained.
Additional reporting by AFP
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