Parliamentary Proceedings
TO BE ANSWERED ON APRIL 15, 1999
INDIA'S RELATION WITH TAIWAN 2699.

SHRI RAJNATH SINGH 'SURYA':
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) what is our policy on relation with Taiwan;
(b) are there any Indians detained in Taiwan;
(c) if so, how many of them and on what grounds;
(d) whether it is a fact that any person has been detained in connection with a ship accident near Taiwanese coast; and
(e) if so, what action has Government taken so far to getting the release expedited?

ANSWER: THE MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI JASWANT SINGH)
(a): Government of India do not maintain any official or diplomatic relations with the "Republic of China". Government facilitated non-official economic, trade and cultural links to enhance trade, tourism and investment.

(b) & (c): According to the information available, ten Indian nationals are presently detained in Taiwan on various charges.

(d): Two Indian seamen, namely, Captain Raj Kumar Goel and Shri Yoganarasimha Dodla, are facing trial in a court of law in connection with a collision of their ship. MV Kasuga-1, registered in Panama and being managed by Univan Ship Management Limited, Hong Kong, with a Taiwanese fishing boat on 5 February 1996 about 17 nautical miles off the coast of Taiwan, in which only one of the twenty nine crew members on the fishing vessel was reported to have survived. The two seamen are now free on bail though they cannot leave Taiwan until the court proceedings are settled.

(e): Through the good offices of the India-taipei Association in taipei (ITA) . contact was maintained with the Captain and other crew members of MV Kasuga-1 throughout the period of their detention and the court proceedings. The Director General of the India-Taipei Association office in Taipei as also other representatives of that office attended the court proceedings in person and otherwise rendered necessary assistance to the Indian crew members. ITA officials met and made appropriate representations to the concerned authorities in Taiwan. Messrs Univan Ship Management Company were in direct touch with the Directorate General of Shipping, Ministry of Surface Transport, Government of India in regard to substantive aspects of the case since this is the subject matter of the Directorate General of Shipping. Immediately after the details of the accident became known, the Government submitted an affidavit claiming jurisdiction in the case in accordance with Article 97 of the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. This submission was not accepted. Another affidavit was then submitted on behalf of the Directorate General of Shipping by ITA in Taiwanese High Court further clarifying the issues involved. A delegation of six Members of Parliament, led by Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Shri P. Upendra met Taiwanese authorities and raised the issue of detention of these two seamen during their visit to Taiwan. They were assured of positive help.