The medium-sized 800-ton Taiwanese cargo ship Haiseng No. 2 ran aground on Kuba Island in a typhoon in March 1968. Following this, 14 Taiwanese workers went to Kuba Island to dismantle the vessel, building temporary shelters on the island. On July 11, 1970, they were discovered when officials from the Immigration Office and others went to put up signs warning against illegal entry. The 380 ton scrap vessel Taitung, with a total of 14 crew members plus the captain, had an exit permit from the government of Taiwan. It is unknown whether they had a dismantlement permit. The Government of the Ryukyu Islands immediately gave orders for the ship to withdraw, made an official inspection, noted the names of those who had illegally gone ashore, and questioned the workers. (Ref. 1)

Photographs from Ryukyu seifu kankei shashin shiryo (Photographic Documents Related to the Government of the Ryukyu Islands) (1970)
(Above: The Taitung; Center: Scrap and work sheds; Below: Work sheds)
(Okinawa Prefectural Archives)

Ref.1　："Fuho nyuikisha no torishimari jokyo ni tsuite" (Situation Regarding Response to Illegal Entrants), Immigration Office, Government of the Ryukyu Islands (date unknown). Copy in OPRF Center for Island Studies.

→