Indonesia: 11 Taiwanese Accused of Fraud Deported to Taiwan
The Facts
The final 11 out of 102 Taiwanese nationals slated for removal from Indonesia for various infractions were repatriated last Thursday. While the other 91 were deported for a breach of their visas, the remaining 11 were wanted by Taiwan for criminal offenses.
In June, Indonesian authorities announced that 103 Taiwanese passport holders were arrested on suspicion of running a cybercrime operation in Bali, seizing their devices. Since the alleged crimes are outside of Indonesia's jurisdiction, the accused were detained for "misusing their visas."
The Spin
Narrative A
It is outrageous that the PRC, which claims ownership over the de facto independent Taiwan, tried to pressure Indonesia into sending the accused to a country they are not citizens of. This is the most recent example of China hurting ordinary Taiwanese through its deportation pressure campaigns and ignoring a decades-old consensus on extradition.
Narrative B
Indonesia has failed to take proactive measures to prevent cybercrime, despite its growing problem and lucrative nature. Lax immigration controls allow criminals to take advantage of tourist visas and use Indonesia as a base of operations. The country's laws and border enforcement need serious improvement.
