NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) 鈥� accused on Wednesday of human rights abuses against its nationals attending a in Mombasa and blamed China for exerting pressure on the East African country.
Taiwan鈥檚 foreign ministry said the scholars鈥� passports and mobile phones were confiscated and they were detained for more than 20 hours before being deported.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei said it 鈥渟trongly protests and condemns China鈥檚 pressure on the Kenyan government to refuse Taiwanese scholars鈥� attendance at the international ocean academic exchange conference, as well as the barbaric acts of confiscating passports, mobile phones, and restricting personal and communication freedoms 鈥� actions that violate human rights and international norms.鈥�
Kenya defended its decision to deport the Taiwanese nationals. Foreign Ministry Principal Secretary Korir Sing鈥檕ei said his country’s foreign policy 鈥渞ecognizes only one China.鈥�
鈥淎ny person purporting to hold a Taiwanese passport would ordinarily not be allowed through our borders for lacking proper documentation and would not in any event be part of a formal state meeting convened by Kenya government,鈥� Sing鈥檕ei added.
Kenya is hosting the annual oceans conference, which focuses on addressing critical ocean issues, including climate change, biodiversity and pollution.
Hundreds of delegates from Africa, the U.S., the European Union and climate-vulnerable Caribbean and Pacific island nations are taking part in the conference. Organizers have sought to position Africa 鈥� which is hosting the event for the first time 鈥� as a driving force in global ocean governance.
China and Taiwan as a result of a civil war. For decades, China has seen Taiwan as its own territory and said the island must come under its control, even under the
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