Pro-unification party leader sentenced 10 years for natsec offenses

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) Chu Hung-yi (屈宏義), the leader of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, a minor Taiwanese pro-Chinese unification political party, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating national security laws, according to the Taichung branch of the Taiwan High Court.

The court also handed down prison terms to six other defendants: eight years and six months for Huang Kuei-kun (黃桂坤), eight years each for Tai Hsueh-wen (戴學文) and Lin Chien-hua (林健華), seven years each for Chu Hsien-huan (朱賢寰) and Yu Tien-min (余天民), and three years and six months for Liao Yung-ching (廖永清).

All seven were indicted in August 2024 by the Taichung branch of the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office on charges of violating Taiwan's National Security Act and Anti-Infiltration Act.

Prosecutors said the case stemmed from a 2022 investigation by the Miaoli District Prosecutors Office into Huang, a Miaoli County councilor candidate, who was suspected of illegally receiving funding from China.

Chu, a retired officer in Taiwan's military, had conducted business in China over many years and established contacts with Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) intelligence units in 2019, prosecutors said.

He was allegedly promised financial support in return for building an organization in Taiwan and recruiting retired military officers to promote Taiwan's political unification with China.

Prosecutors said Chu, who founded the party in 2023, drafted several planning documents for the group, including "Guidelines for Combat Operations for Chinese Unification."

As leader of the party, Chu recruited three people, including actor Liu Shang-chien (劉尚謙), to run for office in Taiwan's legislature, prosecutors said.

After estimating campaign expenses, Chu requested funds from Chinese contacts and received nearly NT$2 million via WeChat, a popular Chinese social media app, as well as 150,000 renminbi (RMB) -- worth roughly NT$670,000 -- through underground money exchanges, prosecutors said.

None of the three candidates were elected, and they were unaware of the situation, prosecutors said.

Chu also ordered other party members to collect the names of officers ranked major general and above, and to photograph and map key sites, including the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the Alishan Radar Station, Jialutang Beach and the Baoli camp of the Joint Operations Training Base Command in Pingtung County, prosecutors said.

The ruling may still be appealed to Taiwan's Supreme Court.