Taiwanese official roars "go back to Hong Kong” at immigrant couple

A Hong Kong couple who emigrated to Taiwan four years ago said they were yelled at by a Taiwanese official, who told them to “go back to Hong Kong” last month over disagreements on neighborhood constructions. 

The Taitung County Public Work Bureau is building a high wall to control floods in Guangming village in Taitung City, which attracted opposition from the Hong Kong Woo couple and other residents in the area. They complained that the wall “encircled” them and affected their daily lives.  

Aguey Hsu, the head of the bureau, visited the construction site at around 7.30am on October 21. During his inspection, the couple and Hsu argued over the issue, and Woo's wife said residents submitted a petition to authorities earlier. 

Hsu told them the petition could not represent the opinions of all residents. The couple then asked if residents can sue the Taiwanese government over the construction. 

Hsu suddenly lost his temper and yelled at the two, saying “Go sue! You Hongkongers go back to Hong Kong and slam your own government. What petition are you writing here in Taitung? This is Taiwan, not Hong Kong,” the couple alleged Hsu to have said. 

Woo believes that the remarks by Hsu, a public servant, breached equality laws in Taiwan and infringed upon their human rights. He felt that Hongkongers were indirectly discriminated in Taiwan, and filed a report to Taitung Difangfayuan Public Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday. 

The disappointed Woo said he headed to democratic Taiwan because of suppression in Hong Kong, and he didn't know that officers of the Taitung government do not respect the opinion of the public at all. 

Hsu replied that Woo started the argument first, and the couple kept talking about Hong Kong in the conversation and comparing the city with Taiwan. 

In a county council on Thursday, Lin San-tian, a councilor, raised the issue and said there should be consequences for Hsu over his insulting remarks. Hsu, who attended the meeting, became furious and shouted that he didn't tell the couple to “go back to Hong Kong.”

Hsu was later dismissed from the council chamber after a heated argument with the councilor. 

The case has been listed as intimidation and an investigation by the public prosecutors is underway.