The New York Times
Date: April 12, 2016
By: JEFFREY GET0TLEMAN and AUSTIN RAMZY
Video shows a group of Taiwanese citizens who barricaded themselves from Kenyan police officers who aimed to deport them to China. By MRS. LIU, VIA REUTERS on Publish Date April 12, 2016.
NAIROBI, Kenya — Usually prisoners want to get out of jail. But on Tuesday, a group of Taiwanese citizens did all they could to stay in — barricading themselves in a small cell as Kenyan police officers tried to storm in with assault rifles.
But the attempt failed, and the officers dragged the prisoners out — Taiwanese officials say after using tear gas, which Kenyan officials deny — and put them on a plane not for home, but for mainland China
Johnny Chiang, a legislator from the Kuomintang party, with a video clip showing Taiwanese detained at a Kenyan police station, during a news conference in Taipei on Tuesday. Credit Sam Yeh/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
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A video circulating on the Internet of the encounter shows a group of young men bracing themselves against a prison door to try to keep the Kenyan officers out. “Sir! We are Taiwan people, Taiwan people!” one of them yells.
The episode outraged Taiwanese officials, who accused Kenya of violating international law and trying to curry favor with China, which views the self-governed island as part of its territory.
This would not be the first time an African nation did something contentious to please China, the new heavyweight on the continent. Zambia, South Africa and others have bent over backward — often provoking the ire of their own people — to keep China happy. [FULL STORY]
