Taiwan Protests Cambodia's Deportation of Fraud Suspects to China

Taipei Criticizes Cambodia's Decision, Citing Concerns over Jurisdiction and Bilateral Relations.

Taipei, April 14 – Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has strongly protested Cambodia's recent decision to deport Taiwanese telecommunication fraud suspects to the People's Republic of China (PRC).

In a statement released on Monday, MOFA revealed that a group of 180 Taiwanese individuals were arrested in Cambodia on suspicion of involvement in telecom fraud. However, instead of repatriation to Taiwan, a number of these suspects were deported to the PRC in several groups, along with Chinese suspects. MOFA has stated it is unable to confirm exactly how many Taiwanese were sent to China, as the Cambodian government has refused to provide a comprehensive list of those deported.

MOFA has accused the Cambodian government of ceding to pressure from China by withholding this critical information, urging Phnom Penh to rectify the situation by providing Taiwan with a full accounting of the deported Taiwanese suspects. The Taiwanese government has formally conveyed its deep concern and protested Cambodia's actions.

The MOFA statement follows reports in Cambodian media that indicated the suspects, arrested on March 31 during raids on an online telecommunication fraud center in Phnom Penh, were to be handed over to China as a gesture of goodwill. This decision was reportedly made in anticipation of Chinese President Xi Jinping's (習近平) visit to Cambodia.

The Taiwanese office in Ho Chi Minh City, which handles Cambodian affairs, had appealed to the Cambodian government to repatriate the suspects to Taiwan, emphasizing Taiwan's jurisdictional rights. However, these appeals were disregarded.

In response, MOFA is working with the Ministry of Justice and the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) to negotiate the repatriation of Taiwanese suspects with the PRC, utilizing existing cross-strait agreements on crime-fighting and judicial assistance. Furthermore, MOFA has reiterated its warning to Taiwanese citizens against engaging in illegal activities abroad.

The MAC has reported that over 600 Taiwanese citizens arrested overseas for suspected involvement in telecommunication fraud were deported to China between 2016 and May 2024.