SEF urges I-Kuan Tao followers not to travel to China after detentions

Taipei, May 22 (CNA) Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) on Friday urged followers of the religious group I-Kuan Tao not to travel to China after three more Taiwanese believers were detained there earlier this month.

Speaking at a background briefing in Taipei, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said the three cases involved two separate incidents in Fujian and Guangdong provinces in May.

The individuals were restricted from leaving and later detained for unclear reasons, he said.

However, Luo did not say how long the individuals were detained and whether they are currently still being held by the Chinese authorities.

According to the SEF, a total of 19 Taiwanese nationals in 17 separate cases have been detained in China for religious reasons since 2019.

Among them, 14 people in 13 cases were followers of I-Kuan Tao, while others were affiliated with the Unification Church and Christian groups, Luo said.

He said the I-Kuan Tao has previously urged followers not to travel to China, and both the SEF and civic groups have repeatedly issued similar warnings.

China passed its "Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress" in March, which could increase risks for Taiwanese traveling there, Luo added.

The Chinese authorities did not notify Taiwan about the latest detentions, he said, following 10 years of suspension of communication mechanisms between the SEF and China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits.

SEF is a semi-official body tasked by Taiwan's government with handling matters involving Taiwanese people in China and exchanges between the two sides.