Taiwan says pace of US piracy probe ‘unacceptable’

TAIPEI–Taiwan’s foreign minister said Friday it was “unacceptable” that Washington had yet to offer an explanation for the killing of a Taiwanese skipper in a fire fight between the US Navy and Somali pirates.

“We express our serious concerns. It is unacceptable that the United States has yet to give a reasonable explanation of the incident,” foreign minister Timothy Yang said in a statement.

In particular, Taiwan was upset that it was not immediately notified of the death of the skipper on May 10 and the sinking of his boat. Taipei was also annoyed that the US handled the body and the boat without its consent, he added.

Local activists were also impatient, with dozens rallying outside the foreign ministry on Friday to demand an answer after a similar protest outside the US de facto embassy in Taipei last week.

Wu Lai-yu, captain of the 80-tonne vessel Jih-Chun Tsai 68, was killed in crossfire when the pirates used the fishing boat to launch attacks against the USS Stephen W. Groves, according to Taiwan’s foreign ministry.

The fishing vessel, hijacked in March 2010 while sailing in waters off Somalia, was sunk and three pirates were also killed while two Chinese sailors were rescued.

Wu’s family had been in negotiations with the pirates for his release, but no agreement had been reached over the amount of ransom.

Christopher Kavanagh, a spokesman for the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said the United States will share the investigative report on the incident with Taiwanese authorities once it is available.

The AIT is the body that handles exchanges with Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic ties with Washington.