Taipei: Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) on Friday urged followers of the religious group I-Kuan Tao not to travel to China after three more Taiwanese believers were detained there earlier this month. Speaking at a background briefing in Taipei, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia disclosed that the three cases involved two separate incidents in Fujian and Guangdong provinces in May. The individuals were restricted from leaving and later detained for unclear reasons, he said. However, Luo did not specify how long the individuals were detained or whether they are currently still being held by the Chinese authorities.

According to Focus Taiwan, a total of 19 Taiwanese nationals in 17 separate cases have been detained in China for religious reasons since 2019. Among these, 14 people in 13 cases were followers of I-Kuan Tao, while others were affiliated with the Unification Church and Christian groups, Luo said. He noted that the I-Kuan Tao has previously advised its followers against traveling to China, and both the SEF and civic groups have issued similar warnings repeatedly.

China's recent passage of its "Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress" in March could heighten risks for Taiwanese traveling there, Luo added. The absence of notifications from the Chinese authorities regarding the latest detentions comes amid a decade-long suspension of communication mechanisms between the SEF and China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits.

SEF, a semi-official body, is tasked by Taiwan's government with managing matters involving Taiwanese people in China and facilitating exchanges between the two sides.