Taiwan condemns threats against National Palace Museum Prague exhibit

Taipei, Sept. 24 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Tuesday it had received a threatening email warning that if the National Palace Museum continued its exhibition at the National Museum of the Czech Republic, incidents of arson, theft, shootings, and terrorist attacks could occur.

"The MAC strongly condemns violent intimidation and irrational acts," the council said in a news release, without disclosing who sent the email, which was received on Monday.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that after being informed of the threat on Monday, it instructed the Taipei Representative Office in the Czech Republic to immediately alert Czech police.

It also recommended MAC forward the threatening email to Taiwan's police for investigation and "strongly condemned such threatening acts," MOFA said.

The Ministry of Culture (MOC) also received threatening emails from the same email address, according to MAC.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the National Palace Museum said it was notified of the threat by MAC on Monday and that it and MOFA informed the Taipei Representative Office in the Czech Republic and the National Museum of the Czech Republic to strengthen preventive measures.

The museum said it held an emergency response meeting led by Director Hsiao Tsung-huang (蕭宗煌) with the museum's Department of Registration and Conservation, Department of Antiquities, Department of Painting, Calligraphy, Rare Books and Historical Documents, the Office of Digital Information, and the Civil Service Ethics Office to discuss countermeasures.

It said it also asked Taiwanese agencies to help strengthen the protection of its museum sites, exhibition areas and information systems in Taiwan.

According to the museum, the National Museum of the Czech Republic reported that conditions at the exhibition venue remain normal, and has been asked "to enhance security management, watch for suspicious individuals and provide timely updates."

The museum added that it is "maintaining close contact" with the Czech museum and arranging video calls to facilitate real-time communication and response.

"This exhibition, part of our centennial celebration and titled '100 Treasures, 100 Stories,' is a normal cultural exchange within the international museum community intended to help European visitors learn about National Palace Museum artifacts and to attract tourists to Taiwan," the museum said.

The Prague exhibition, running from Sept. 11 to Dec. 31, features 131 iconic artifacts, including one of the museum’s most popular items, the "Jadeite Cabbage with Insects," as well as "Along the River During the Qingming Festival."