CONSTITUTION: Extending refugee status to Hong Kongers could be a problem, as it is not clear what Hong Kong’s status is, Legislator Lee Chun-yi said
Taipei Times
Date: Sep 03, 2019
By: William Hetherington / Staff writer, with CNA
The Legislative Yuan needs to resolve a number of issues, such as how the law defines a refugee,
Democratic Progressive Party legislators Chen Man-li, front row second left, and Yu Mei-nu, front row third right, and representatives of several human rights groups hold signs urging the government to enact a refugee law at a news conference in Taipei on June 20, World Refugee Day.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights
Lee made the remarks in reponse to Hong Kong democracy advocate Joshua Wong’s (黃之鋒) call on Saturday for Taiwan to legislate a refugee act following the arrests of several democracy advocates in the territory.
Asked about Wong’s call, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Sunday said that Taiwan has a robust democracy with sufficient laws, seemingly in reference to the Act Governing Relations with Hong Kong and Macau (香港澳門關係條例), which stipulates that people from Hong Kong and Macau could apply for temporary or permanent residency in Taiwan if they meet one of 16 conditions in the act.
Article 18 of the act states: “Necessary assistance shall be provided to Hong Kong or Macau residents whose safety and liberty are immediately threatened by political reasons.”
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