Building a seamless international security network
Support Taiwan's participation in INTERPOL as an observer
"Its aims are to ensure and promote the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities."
—Article 2 of the Constitution of INTERPOL
The International Criminal Police Organization was established with the purpose of ensuring and promoting the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities, and serves as the world's largest platform for police cooperation. However, political interference has led to Taiwan's exclusion from INTERPOL for 35 years, creating a gap in the international security network and causing concern for law and order in countries across the globe. Given the rampant growth of terrorism and cross-border crimes today, it is essential for police worldwide to work together to create a seamless global law and order protection system. Taiwan police wish to cooperate with their counterparts in other countries to jointly safeguard social justice. We seek support for the Republic of China (Taiwan) to attend—as an observer—the 88th INTERPOL General Assembly to be held in Chile this year, as well as to meaningfully participate in INTERPOL meetings, mechanisms, and other activities, including having access to the I-24/7 Global Police Communications System and participating in INTERPOL training programs.
1.Taiwan's key role in international transport and tourism increases its vulnerability to cross-border criminal activities, making its participation in INTERPOL essential.
According to International Tourist Arrivals data released by the UN World Tourism Organization in 2018, about 10.74 million international visitors traveled to Taiwan in 2017, making it the world's 36th most popular destination. Meanwhile, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport served a total of 46.54 million inbound and outbound passengers in 2018, making it 11th for passenger traffic handled by airports worldwide, according to Airports Council International. These statistics underscore Taiwan's importance in international travel and transport. The steady increase of international visitors has placed Taiwan under considerable pressure to ensure border security, maintain law and order, and counter terrorism. It has become an indispensable link in the global security system. To ensure that no gap or breach exists in the network, it is essential that Taiwan be allowed to participate in INTERPOL.
2.Taiwan is crucial to creating a comprehensive international security network.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is the world's 22nd-largest economy and 17th-largest exporter. Situated in a strategic location between Northeast and Southeast Asia, Taiwan serves as a nexus for the flow of people, goods, and money, receiving more than 68.9 million visitors in 2018. Its continued exclusion from INTERPOL undermines the global endeavor to fight terrorism, illicit drugs, telecom fraud, cybercrime, and other new forms of transnational crime, thereby diminishing the integrity and effectiveness of the international security network.
Taiwan police have found that drug-related cross-border organized crimes committed by Chinese, Taiwanese, and ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia—who share a similar language background—have become more common in recent years. In August 2018, Taiwan and the Philippines seized 500 kilograms of amphetamines smuggled from Malaysia through a joint maritime operation. Later, in October, Taiwan worked with South Korea to seize 112 kilograms of amphetamines smuggled out of Thailand. As cross-border drug trafficking rings operate in many nations and illicit drug activities are often relocated in response to global market mechanisms, law enforcement agencies face mounting difficulties in carrying out investigations. As a result, it has become even more imperative for Taiwan police to work with their counterparts in other countries on joint prevention efforts.
Transnational telecom fraud cases investigated by Taiwan police in recent years are often connected to human trafficking and money laundering. To deter such crimes, Taiwan's entire police force took part in a nationwide crackdown on telecom crime syndicates in 2019, uncovering 35 cases of organized fraud and leading to the arrest of 1,915 people and discovery of 10 operational bases. The police also took proactive measures to prevent illicit financial outflows, including tracking cash flows behind the scenes and blocking money transfers by victims. Their success is further reflected in their confiscation of NT$440 million in illicit gains in 2018, raising the total amount recovered over the years to NT$1.04 billion. As telecom crime networks have expanded across the globe, Taiwan police are ready to share their experience with investigating and preventing such criminal activities that cause major financial losses to people in many countries.
3.INTERPOL's refusal to assist Taiwan or allow its participation due to political considerations contravenes its founding principle of professionalism and the spirit of its Constitution, creating a gap in the global security network.
Taiwan has been excluded from INTERPOL for 35 years since China's admission as a member in 1984. Its requests for assistance or consideration have been declined by INTERPOL on political grounds. Requests denied have included Taiwan's first bid to attend the INTERPOL General Assembly as an observer in 2016, an application for an INTERPOL Major Event Support Team to assist in security arrangements for the Taipei 2017 Universiade, and another bid to attend the INTERPOL General Assembly as an observer in 2018. Each of these requests was rejected by the General Secretariat, which incorrectly cited the 1984 resolution adopted by the organization upon China's accession and demanded that Taiwan contact the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Beijing.
This approach by INTERPOL runs contrary to the status quo that Taiwan and China are governed separately and neither is subordinate to the other. It also contravenes INTERPOL's principle of professionalism for promoting cooperation between police authorities in all countries and creating a safer world. Moreover, it violates the INTERPOL Constitution, which strictly forbids the organization from undertaking any intervention of a political character. Taiwan is not a part of China. China cannot and has no right to represent Taiwan in the international arena. Only the democratically elected government of Taiwan can represent the 23 million people of Taiwan in INTERPOL, and engage in exchanges and cooperation with INTERPOL and other countries to prevent transnational crime. INTERPOL should maintain neutrality, accord professional consideration to the need and necessity for Taiwan to participate in the organization, and facilitate early, pragmatic, and feasible arrangements toward this end.
Taiwan has yet to receive INTERPOL's authorization to access its I-24/7 Global Police Communications Network and 17 criminal databases, including the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database. This has seriously undermined Taiwan's border security checks and efforts to combat transnational crime. For example, in 2017, Taiwan's police agency was caught unawares when a Korean recidivist burglar under surveillance by INTERPOL entered Taiwan and committed a theft before departing for Japan, where he was refused entry based on his INTERPOL profile and sent back to Taiwan. It was not until he was arrested in Taiwan that Taiwan police learned about his background during interrogation. Cases like this highlight the fact that Taiwan has inadequate access to international criminal information and as such is likely to be unprepared for such situations. Although Taiwan seeks to acquire updated criminal information through bilateral channels, countries are reluctant to cooperate owing to political considerations. In 2017, Taiwan's police agency made 130 requests to other countries seeking information or assistance in investigations, but received responses in only 46 cases. This demonstrates that only by participating in INTERPOL will Taiwan be able to surmount political interference and acquire timely and complete criminal information, safeguard border security, enforce law and order, and engage in closer cooperation with police agencies worldwide to combat cross-border crime.
4.Please support Taiwan's meaningful participation in INTERPOL.
As stated on the INTERPOL website, "Today's crimes are increasingly international. It is crucial that there is coordination among all different players in maintaining a global security architecture." In particular, transnational cooperation is required to combat the three crime areas identified in the INTERPOL Strategic Framework 2017-2020—counterterrorism, organized and emerging crime, and cybercrime. No country can deal with these issues alone.
As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan earnestly desires to contribute to global endeavors led by INTERPOL to ensure a safer world. According to Article 6 of the Rules of Procedure of the INTERPOL General Assembly, "police bodies which are not members of the Organization … may be invited to attend General Assembly sessions as observers." As such, Taiwan's bid to attend the General Assembly as an observer is both appropriate and reasonable. We ask the international community to stand together in urging INTERPOL to issue a professional and fair response to Taiwan's bid for meaningful participation in its meetings, mechanisms, and other activities, and to welcome Taiwan's participation as early as possible. Fighting crime does not involve politics, but rather it pertains to the security and wellbeing of humanity. It is the common mission and responsibility for police in all nations. INTERPOL should uphold the principle that the organization transcends politics, and support cooperation between Taiwan police and their counterparts worldwide for the joint safeguarding and advancement of global security and justice.