Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, last week introduced legislation that would promote Taiwan’s participation as an observer in International Criminal Police Organization, or INTERPOL.
INTERPOL was designed to promote the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. From 1964 until 1984, Taiwan enjoyed full membership in INTERPOL but was removed when the People’s Republic of China (PRC) applied for membership.
Salmon’s bill will require the President to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan in INTERPOL. Specifically, it requires an official request for observer status for Taiwan, active urging of member states to assist in the effort as well as a status report to Congress.
“For 36 years, the Taiwan Relations Act has helped promote peace and stability in Asia and facilitated a productive unofficial relationship between the United States and Taiwan. In the spirit of the TRA, I am pleased to introduce important legislation that advocates the U.S. government support Taiwan’s efforts to obtain observer status in INTERPOL. Taiwan’s observer status would promote stability and security in the Asia Pacific region and assist Taiwan in protecting the safety of its citizens by combatting criminal activity through access to INTERPOL’s global police communications systems. Taiwan currently relies on the United States’ and other countries’ secondhand information and it is unable to share information on criminals to member countries—generating inefficiencies in addressing criminal activity in the region. With the rise in terrorism throughout the globe, not allowing Taiwan independent and easy access to INTERPOL is an unnecessary and dangerous risk,” said Salmon in a statement released Friday.