Taiwan decision to free fraud suspects wrong

Taiwan police on Saturday released 20 fraud suspects who were deported from Malaysia on Friday. The 20 people, released for the "lack of evidence", were among 52 Taiwan residents who the Malaysian authorities arrested for suspected telecommunication fraud, which affected many people on the Chinese mainland as well as in Taiwan.

In response, An Fengshan, a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, urged the Taiwan authorities on Saturday to give the suspects "the punishment they deserve", and emphasized that their release will only encourage fraudsters and harm cross-Straits law enforcement cooperation.

The island's unilateral decision to allow the 20 fraudsters to walk free, regardless of their misdeeds and the mainland's ongoing investigation, violates legal norms and goes against the cross-Straits agreement on fighting crimes, which came into effect in 2009.