The Mainland Affairs Council in the Executive Yuan has decided that when former Nationalist soldiers from Taiwan detained on the mainland apply to return to live on Taiwan, the family members that may accompany them will be limited to their spouses and to children of minority age; that they cannot be members of the Communist Party; that they must not apply to return to the mainland; and that if they insist on returning to the mainland they will not be permitted to reapply to come to Tawian. Applications have been accepted beginning March 31.
The proposal discussed and approved by the Mainland Affairs Council was forwarded to it by the Ministry of the Interior. Some of the contents of the proposal are as follows:
(1) Applicants:
--The scope includes all Taiwan compatriots who joined the Nationalist army in the first years after Retrocession, were detained on the mainland, and who wish to return to live on Taiwan. Their applications must be verified by the Taiwan provincial, Taipei municipal, or Kaoshiung municipal governments and reported to the Ministry of National Defense for approval.
--Family members accompanying the applicants on their return to Taiwan are limited to their spouses and children of minority age.
(2) Application Procedure:
Applicants still on the mainland should request their family members on Taiwan to apply through the Bureau of Entry and Exit. Those in Hong Kong may apply through the appropriate service centers or travel agencies there.
(3) Necessary Documents:
One application form; four two-inch bust photos; and one certificate guaranteeing identification. Appicants who have joined the Communist Party or its ancillary organizations or who have held positions in the party, government, or army related to military affairs should recant and attach a written declaration made in public in a third area that they have withdrawn from said organizations along with a NT$200 notarization fee.
Barcodes Added to Entry and Exit Permits Shortening Customs Procedures
In order to shorten customs inspection procedures for travelers, the Bureau of Entry and Exit has decided to add a barcode to entry and exit permits and input information by light pencil instead of the old method of typing by hand.
The first batch of barcoded permits were issued recently and have already been used by many travelers in exiting the country. Inspection time has been reduced considerably, and their use has been extremely convenient.
The barcodes are placed on the lower left edge of the permits. They are similar to the "magnetized strips" found on the time cards of government and company employees, but are read by a light pencil instead of a clock-in machine.
T'ien Pin, the officer in charge of computer systems at the bureau, says that travelers' information at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport and Kaohsiung airport in the past was typed in by hand, which was not only slow but subject to errors that were only discovered after the fact, affecting the bureau's ability to intercept criminals attempting to leave the country.
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