Taiwanese lawmakers propose revoking passport act

Taiwanese lawmakers passed a resolution on Monday to withdraw the new section of legislation that prevents pro-Taiwanese independence activists from having “Republic of Taiwan” stickers on their Republic of China passports.
The Legislature’s National Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee passed the non-binding resolution which was proposed by several opposition lawmakers in order to revoke Article Three of the Enforcement Rules of the Passport Act, according to a China Post report.
The article prohibits Taiwanese citizens from placing “Republic of Taiwan” stickers on the cover of their passports. Failing to observe this law may result in a passport revocation by government authorities.
New Power Party lawmaker, Freddy Lim, said that Article Five of the Passport Act only specifies that passport holders cannot make changes on the inner pages of their passport, however, the foreign minister modified the law to further specify that no alterations should be made on the front cover of a passport.
Lim, the proponent of the resolution, then criticized the move saying it had already violated the original act itself, thus should not be effective in the first place.
Lim also argues that many nationals place the stickers on their passports so as to prevent Taiwanese citizens to be wrongly identified as a Chinese national.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister David Lin clarified that the regulation is only meant to protect the rights of Taiwanese citizens traveling overseas since the use of the stickers could undermine the credibility of the country’s passport.
Lin mentioned the concerns of many countries over the use of such stickers, which could lead to visa denials by foreign authorities, including those in the U.S., but promises to review Lim’s proposal.
At least 15 Taiwanese citizens holding passports with the “Republic of Taiwan” stickers have been refused entry into Macau since the beginning of this year.