Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/01/18
By: Liu Kuan-ting and Flor Wang

DPP lawmaker Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政, right)

Taipei, Jan. 18 (CNA) A lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) voiced concern Friday over possible security failings in the area around the Presidential Office, after a report appeared in a Hong Kong newspaper with pictures of a pro-Hong Kong independence student leader allegedly meeting with an “emissary” of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in Taipei earlier this month.

Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao (大公報) ran a front page story Wednesday, claiming that Tony Chung Han-lam (鍾翰林), a student leader of the pro-Hong Kong independence movement Studentlocalism (學生動源), met an “emissary” of Tsai to discuss an “independence plot” at Academia Historica in downtown Taipei.

Speaking at a news conference, DPP lawmaker Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) called the news report “groundless,” but said it exposed security failures in the Bo’ai Special Zone near the Presidential Office, because apparently a reporter was able to secretly film a group of people without being challenged.

Although the report was false, Lo said such “lawless” behavior highlighted security lapses in an area of Taipei where security is supposed to be tight.    [FULL  STORY]