MAC slams China bounty notice for 2 Taiwanese YouTubers

Taipei, Nov. 13 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday condemned Chinese authorities for issuing a bounty notice for two Taiwanese YouTubers over alleged "inciting secession," saying the action was intended to create unease in Taiwanese society.

The purpose of the notice is to "inflame nationalist sentiment" in China and "create unease" in Taiwan, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said at a regular news briefing in Taipei.

Describing the notice as "merely for show," Liang said the accusations essentially amount to claiming the two individuals are engaging in "Taiwan independence" activities - allegations that, he said, require no evidence in the eyes of Chinese authorities.

The action also serves to create divisions and tension in Taiwanese society, he added, without elaborating further.

Liang's comments came after the public security bureau in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, earlier Thursday issued a bounty notice for YouTubers Pa Chiung (八炯) and Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) on suspicion of "inciting secession."

According to the notice, Pa Chiung and Chen "have long used overseas social media platforms to post and spread large amounts of 'anti-China' and 'resist China' content and rhetoric inciting secession."

The bureau also accused them of smearing China's policies that "benefit Taiwan," bullying Chinese spouses living in Taiwan, and advocating for "Taiwan independence," which it said had a "vicious impact."

It was not the first time Pa Chiung -- whose real name is Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝) -- and Chen have been targeted by Chinese authorities.

In March, China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), launched an online reporting platform targeting "Taiwan independence" advocates and their alleged accomplices. Both Pa Chiung and Chen were among the 11 individuals listed by the TAO as having been reported.

At the time, the two YouTubers were central figures in campaigns calling for the deportation of three Chinese spouses in Taiwan over their pro-"military unification" remarks.

In the newly issued notice, the Taiwanese ID numbers of both Pa Chiung and Chen were listed, with the Quanzhou bureau calling on the public to come forward with information.

Individuals who provide tips or assist authorities in apprehending the pair will receive rewards ranging from 50,000 to 250,000 renminbi (RMB), or roughly US$7,045 to US$35,226, the bureau said.