13 April 2016•Update: 20 April 2016
By Mahmut Atanur
BEIJING
Beijing insisted Wednesday that 77 people -- including 45 Taiwanese -- deported by Kenya to the Chinese mainland were telecom fraud suspects, in a case that has led to Taipei suing the African nation.
China’s state news agency Xinhua cited the Ministry of Public Security as underlining what it called the legal rights of the mainland’s judicial bodies over the suspects.
Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province, and only 22 countries diplomatically recognize the territory.
China’s Ministry of Public Security confirmed that 10 of the 77 suspects were sent to the mainland Saturday with the rest due to arrive Wednesday.
In a statement, it said that mainland police would inform Taiwanese authorities about the investigation into those involved.
Mainland authorities have accused networks allegedly led by Taiwanese citizens and based in Southeast Asia and Africa of extorting money from mainlanders through telephone calls in which they claim to be law enforcement officials.
After lodging a strong protest with Kenya earlier this week over the protests, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Wednesday that it had taken legal action in Kenya against its interior minister, attorney general and police inspector general.
They are accused of illegal deportation after cooperating with the Chinese embassy and of forcefully detaining the Taiwanese for more than 24 hours, Taiwan’s official Central News Agency reported.
Meanwhile, the territory’s Mainland Affairs Council stressed that Taiwan would not agree with Beijing’s stance that the matter would be dealt with under the "one China" policy.
It stressed Taiwan’s sovereignty and full jurisdiction over its citizens.
