MAC requests release of 3 I-Kuan Tao members arrested in China

Taipei, Dec. 13 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Friday night issued a statement requesting that the Chinese authorities release three Taiwanese members of the I-Kuan Tao (Yiguandao) religious group arrested in China.

The statement was issued shortly after China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) confirmed the arrest of the three individuals.

MAC said Taiwan's government requests the Chinese authorities ensure the legal rights and safety of the nationals by sending them back to Taiwan.

Over the past year, the Chinese authorities have "illegally arrested," imprisoned and punished Taiwanese members of religious groups who traveled to China on multiple occasions, MAC added.

The agency said that while China attempts to "infiltrate Taiwan under the guise of religion interaction," Beijing is not happy to see Taiwanese members of religious groups promote their religion in China.

It called on nationals to recognize that China does not have freedom of religion and for members of religious groups to reconsider visiting China.

The three detained Taiwan nationals, identified by their last names Chou (周), Chiang (江) and Hsieh (謝), were arrested by police in Guangdong Province on suspicion of "organizing and practicing as members of a cult that undermines law enforcement," according to a TAO statement issued earlier Friday.

In response, Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), a semi-official organization tasked by Taiwan's government with handling technical matters involving China, said in a written statement that I-Kuan Tao is a legal religion with millions of followers in Taiwan.

The SEF urged the Chinese authorities to respect freedom of religion, protect the safety of the three Taiwanese nationals, and release them as soon as possible.

SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said earlier this month that the three members of the religious group were arrested in October and did not participate in political activities.

While the SEF has tried to learn more about the situation, it has received no reply to its inquiries from the Chinese authorities, Luo said.

The three Taiwan nationals have all hired lawyers.