TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Coast Guard reprimanded 10 officers on Tuesday (June 11) for negligence after a Chinese motorboat came near the mouth of the Tamsui River.
On June 9, a Chinese man surnamed Ruan (阮) drove a motorboat toward a harbor around Tamsui, New Taipei, claiming he wished to defect to Taiwan from China. An investigation revealed Ruan was a former People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) captain.
The incident occurred because of human negligence, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Director-General Chang Chung-lung (張忠龍) said at a press conference on Tuesday, per CNA. CGA Deputy Head Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) also said the incursion was not caused by an error in the monitoring system but by failures to make relevant communications and poor judgment calls.
Ten personnel were punished for negligence, ranging from reprimands to demerits. Coast Guard Patrol Division Head Liao Te-sheng (廖德聖) received one reprimand.
The third patrol area director, maritime control officer, patrol area commander, Bali watch post sergeant major, and two officers of the Tamsui watch post all received two reprimands. The radar station team leader and two operators of the third patrol area each received one minor demerit.
The CGA faced tough criticism after the incursion for failing to identify the boat as a foreign vessel and safeguard Taiwan's territorial waters. Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said the Coast Guard made several missteps as Ruan’s boat approached the harbor.
It was only after the motorboat collided with other vessels at a ferry terminal that operators called the Coast Guard. Officers failed to sound the alarm because they had “30 vessels to monitor at the same time," according to Kuan.
"This case shows that the problem is not with the system but the people in charge," she said.
The Coast Guard at Shalun radar station had picked up the boat’s signal at around 6 nautical miles (11 kilometers) off Tamsui. However, as Ruan was heading toward a port instead of the beach, the officers on duty mistook the foreign motorboat for a Taiwanese fishing trawler returning from sea.
Later, the Tamsui post was notified by another nearby watch post in Bali that the motorboat was foreign. However, Kuan said the officers allegedly waited 30 minutes before issuing orders to intercept the motorboat and arrest Ruan.
Hsieh said the Coast Guard will bolster its personnel training and coordination with the Ministry of National Defense (MND) to protect Taiwan's maritime security. Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) added that the incursion could be part of China's gray zone tactics, and the MND would use this incident to strengthen countermeasures.
Ruan has been taken into custody for further investigation. He faces possible charges for violating the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) and the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法).