The Chinese Embassy in Manila is dealing with local authorities
concerning the arrest of nearly 150 Chinese businessmen in a
shopping mall, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
The Philippine immigration officials arrested 102 Chinese
businessmen on Wednesday afternoon and another 40 on Thursday, a
local Chinese-language newspaper reported.
Sources with the Foreign Ministry confirmed the report, saying
negotiations are going on, but gave no further details.
Among the business people arrested on Wednesday, 49 are women
and 53 men. The oldest is 86, who said he had just arrived in
Manila on the previous day with valid documents and air ticket.
A witness said about 30 immigration officials took part in the
operation. Two young women were reportedly handcuffed and had some
bruises on their bodies, and another young man was half stripped
and did not wear shoes. The young man tried to escape but was
captured.
Another two claimed that they were just students of a local
university and were detained when shopping in the mall.
The Philippine immigration authorities said that those detainees
violated immigration regulations, which stipulate that foreigners
are not allowed to carry out retailing business. The arrested
Chinese were also accused of working with tourism visas.
The immigration officials said they had received many complaints
from Philippine businessmen, who said their Chinese counterparts
were engaged in unfair competition.
(China Daily December 17, 2005)