Following the recent riots in Vietnam, the Executive Yuan today established an inter-ministerial task force to coordinate government measures to ensure the safety of Taiwanese businesspeople and expatriates there. With Vice Premier Mao Chi-kuo as the convener, the group held its first meeting this afternoon.
The Executive Yuan and various ministries will follow developments closely and respond to any emergencies as needed, and the task force will formulate and implement short- and medium-term strategies according to the latest situation. Taiwanese businesspeople and their families wishing to return to Taiwan may register at the Taipei economic and cultural offices in Vietnam and receive speedy government assistance, Mao said. Service information and contact details of various ROC government agencies have also been made available to help Taiwanese nationals.
During today's meeting, the task force divided duties among ministries and agencies and formed several task groups. Participating in the task groups are the MOFA, the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Justice, the Financial Supervisory Commission, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of National Defense.
After the meeting, Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun said the government will set up a communication network through the ROC's representative offices and other channels to track the whereabouts of Taiwanese businesspeople and their families as well as Taiwanese students and tourists in Vietnam. The government will also monitor demands for plane seats back to Taiwan, issue temporary entry and exit permits, evaluate Vietnam's responses, and assess the state of damage or recovery at Taiwanese-owned factories.
Sun said the ROC government has already devised a number of measures such as providing appropriate repatriation assistance, coordinating airline and flight services, and preparing for emergency evacuations. Emergency financing will be provided to Taiwanese firms as well as legal assistance for seeking reparations. The government can also arrange short-term returns for Taiwanese families and students, and will monitor the status of Vietnamese workers in Taiwan.
The MOFA has posted overseas assistance contact information on its website (www.mofa.gov.tw), along with five emergency numbers for the representative office in Ho Chi Minh City (+84-903927019, +84-902625988, +84-908781230, +84-912390118, +84-903407650). The Civil Aeronautics Administration has set up an information hotline on Vietnam-to-Taiwan flights (0800-211-798), while the OCAC offers an emergency contact number (0910-152-035) for families of Vietnamese expatriates in Taiwan. The MOEA has also a dedicated number (02-2383-2169) to assist Taiwanese companies that have suffered property damage from the riots.