ChinaNews014

.subject: China row looms after ship killings

From CHINA NEWS, 23 February 1999

Taiwan and China may be facing an international legal battle over the trial of a Taiwan captain who shot two of his mainland Chinese crew and forced another 13 to jump overboard following an attempted mutiny.

On February 16, Captain Kung Tai-an lost control of himself aboard a Taiwan fishing craft, the Jinching 12, while 1,500 kilometers northeast of Mauritius. He shot two of his crew of 25, mainlanders Li Xingzheng and Yang Yong. A further 13 jumped overboard and are presumed dead.

Roy Wu, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, yesterday insisted that Mauritius extradite Kung to Taiwan to face trial as the murders occurred on the high seas-neutral political territory-on a Taiwan fishing boat and Kung was a Taiwan national.

The China Times Express, however, quoted Hu Hsing-hua, a spokesman from the Council of Agriculture's Fisheries Department, as saying that he foresaw international political and legal wrangling because Mauritius has diplomatic ties with China and no extradition treaty with Taiwan. He added that the men, murdered or missing are all Chinese nationals.

Hu said a nearby British patrol plane had received a distress signal from the boat at around 10 am-around the time of the incident-but was unable to trace the boat. Hu said he believed the captain lost control because of the hardships of a long stint at sea.

The manager of the shipping company, Wang Min-chi, was also quoted by the China Times Express as saying Kung may have been under pressure as it was his first stint as a captain.

Kung was immediately arrested when the boat docked at the Mauritius Port of Saint Louis. The remaining sailors, including five Taiwanese, two Filipinos and three Chinese were detained by Mauritius police for questioning.

The Foreign Ministry's Wu said the unofficial Taiwan representative stationed in Mauritius, Li Tse-nan, met with local police when the ship docked and had retained a local lawyer, Juan Collendevello, to represent Captain Kung. Wu said that Collendevello had already gone to Mauritius to negotiate bail. Wu said it was important that the captain's rights be respected and he have fair representation under the law.

Copyright 1999 China News