Two Taiwan-based Chinese dissidents seek asylum in US (Roundup)

Sep 10, 2008, 14:42 GMT

Taipei - Two Chinese pro-democracy activists, unable to gain sanctuary in Taiwan, on Wednesday entered the de facto US embassy in Taipei to ask for political asylum in the United States.

Cai Lujun, 40, and Wu Yalin, 49, jumped over the wall of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) compound and showed staff members a sign reading 'Political Asylum' in Chinese and English.

'Two AIT staff members questioned us for half-an-hour, and then let us go. They said they could not reply to our request for asylum, but would convey our request to higher authorities,' Cai told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa by telephone.

Cai and Wu, who were both jailed in China for pro-democracy activities, arrived in Taiwan in 2007. They are seeking asylum in the US also for Chen Rongli, another Chinese dissident here since 2004.

There are two other Chinese pro-democracy activists stranded in Taiwan - Yan Peng and Yan Jun, who arrived four years ago.

Although Taiwan has accepted the five, it has not granted them political asylum. It has sought a third country to accept them, but has not been successful as most countries have diplomatic ties with China and do not want to offend Beijing.

Without an ID card, the five survive on a 10,000-20,000 Taiwan dollars (300-600 US dollars) monthly subsidy, but cannot find work, go to school, enjoy medicare or apply for driver's license.

On July 1, Cai, Wu and Chen launched a hunger strike outside the Presidential Office Building, but ended it after half a day when an official promised to pass their petition to President Ma Ying-jeou.

In a statement, Cai, Wu and Chen said Taiwan, by refusing to grant them asylum, has deprived them of their human rights.

Cai said Taiwan's decree on Taiwan-China ties has a clause stating that Taipei can shelter Chinese pro-democracy activists on a case-by- case basis. That decree is still valid, he said, but Taiwan says it is outdated.

Cai said Taipei refuses to give the five dissidents asylum for fear of hurting ties with China, which have improved since President Ma took office on May 20.

Taiwan, seat of the exiled Republic of China government since 1949, welcomed Chinese defectors with cash and gold durin g the days of the Cold War, but stopped the p[ractice when tension with China began to ease in the late 1980s.

After the June 4, 1989 crackdown on hunger-striking students in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, dozens of Chinese pro-democracy activists fled to Taiwan. Some were allowed to stay while others were sent to foreign countries to find asylum.

The last two Chinese dissidents who came to Taiwan but found asylum in a third country were Tang Yuanjun, who was sent to the US in 2002, and Xu Po, who was accepted by the Marshall Islands in 2003.

Taiwan claimed that it handled the previous Chinese dissidents on a case-by-case basis, but the case of Cai and the other four Chinese dissidents must wait till the passage of an Asylum Law, which is still pending review by parliament.