Three Taiwanese nationals arrested in China over I-Kuan Tao religious activities
Dec 07, 2024
Taipei [Taiwan], December 7 : A Taiwan official confirmed the arrest of three Taiwanese nationals by authorities in Guangdong, a southern Chinese province, in connection with religious activities tied to the I-Kuan Tao spiritual movement on Wednesday.
The movement is banned by the Chinese Communist Party, Radio Free Asia reported.
Lo Wen-Jia, the head of Taiwan's semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation, told reporters in Taipei that the three I-Kuan Tao followers, all in their seventies, were arrested during a raid on a scripture-reading gathering at a private home in Zhongshan city, as reported by Radio Free Asia.
Lo stated, "Around Oct. 10 this year, police suddenly entered a private residence in Zhongshan, China to arrest the people inside. The number of people who were present is unclear. Three of them are elderly I-Kuan Tao followers from Taiwan, in their 70s. They were reading I-Kuan Tao scriptures with local people."
I-Kuan Tao, or the Consistent Way, is a Chinese religious movement that originated in the late 19th century and gained significant popularity during the Japanese occupation of World War II. In 1949, the Chinese Communist Party labelled it an "illegal secret society and heretical cult."
Despite this, the movement has flourished in Taiwan since martial law was lifted, and the Kuomintang regime under Chiang Ching-kuo issued an official apology for past persecutions in 1987, reported Radio Free Asia.
Lo added that the Foundation had contacted its Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, as well as Chinese law enforcement, to seek assistance, but had received no response.
Lo also mentioned that the Foundation is looking into alternative channels to gather more information about the detainees' situation and is offering legal support to their families, Radio Free Asia reported.
Chiu Chui-cheng, head of the Mainland Affairs Council, emphasized that the detentions highlight the growing risks Taiwanese nationals face when traveling to China. He also noted that the government now advises "heightened caution."
