Indonesia: 11 Taiwanese Accused of Fraud Deported to Taiwan

Facts

• The final 11 out of 102 Taiwanese nationals slated for removal from Indonesia for various infractions were repatriated last Thursday. While the other 91 were deported for a breach of their visas, the remaining 11 were wanted by Taiwan for criminal offenses.¹
• In June, Indonesian authorities announced that 103 Taiwanese passport holders were arrested on suspicion of running a cybercrime operation in Bali, seizing their devices. Since the alleged crimes are outside of Indonesia's jurisdiction, the accused were detained for 'misusing their visas.'²
• Immigration officials claim that 13 of the accused are wanted for 'serious crimes in Taiwan' that include money laundering and drug trafficking, with Taiwanese police involved in the removal.³
• Authorities claim that those targeted by their alleged crimes were predominately in Malaysia and that they may be connected with international syndicates. The Directorate General of Immigration says it is also planning another sweep against foreign nationals in Bali.⁴
• Sources speaking to the media claim that Beijing exerted pressure on Indonesia to send the accused to the People's Republic of China, with the foreign ministry allegedly coordinating with Taiwan immediately after the arrests to avoid a dispute with China.¹
• Over 400 devices in possession of the accused have been handed over to Taiwanese authorities, and all of those detained could face criminal charges in Taiwan.¹

Sources: ¹Taipei Times, ²Al Jazeera, ³The Jakartapost and ⁴Associated Press.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Al Jazeera. It is outrageous that the PRC, which claims ownership over the de facto independent Taiwan, tried to pressure Indonesia into sending the accused to a country they are not citizens of. This is the most recent example of China hurting ordinary Taiwanese through its deportation pressure campaigns and ignoring a decades-old consensus on extradition.
• Narrative B, as provided by Radio Free Asia. Indonesia has failed to take proactive measures to prevent cybercrime, despite its growing problem and lucrative nature. Lax immigration controls allow criminals to take advantage of tourist visas and use Indonesia as a base of operations. The country's laws and border enforcement need serious improvement.

Predictions