Cabinet unveils broad anti-terror bill

"The bill defines a terrorist group as an organization with three or more members whose members are involved in any kind of terrorist activity."

Cheng Wen-tsang, Cabinet spokesman

The Cabinet yesterday introduced a counter-terrorism act that, if passed, would grant it broad powers of investigation and the authority to take control of security agencies under loosely defined requirements with minimal oversight.

The act would grant the government the ability to bestow the death penalty, life sentences or up to 10 years in prison for people engaging in "acts of terror," which have yet to be defined.

The act also stipulates that anyone interacting with a "terrorist group" could face a prison sentence of more than five years, with a potential fine of up to NT$100 million (US$3 million).

"The bill defines a terrorist group as an organization with three or more members whose members are involved in any kind of terrorist activity," Cabinet Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said.

Anyone found guilty of sponsoring a terror-related group would face a sentence of a minimum of one year and a maximum of seven years in prison, and a potential fine of up to NT$10 million.

"The Cabinet would be the top government office directing counter-terrorism operations, while the Supreme Court Prosecutors' Office prosecutor-general would be in charge of the entire investigation and any potential indictments, if there were any," Cheng said.

The spokesman said that if an act of terror were committed, the Cabinet would be authorized to circumvent normal legal processes and take direct command of all public-order related government agencies, including the police, the military, the Bureau of Investigation, the Ministry of Justice, the National Security Bureau and the Coast Guard Administration.

Investigators would also be authorized to tap suspects' phones and monitor e-mail and other electronic information that might help the investigation.

In addition to mandating set punishments for terrorists or persons who assist them, the proposed act also provides for leniency toward individuals who help investigators arrest terrorists or prevent acts of terror.

Under the proposed act, anyone who provides law enforcement officers with information leading to the arrest of a terrorist or the prevention of an act of terror, will be entitled to decreased penalties for their involvement.

The Cabinet said that it was planning to cooperate with foreign countries on counter-terror activities.

"The background of this proposal was the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the US," Cheng said. "Terrorism has become the common enemy for all peace lovers around the world."

The spokesman said that the UN urged the world to cooperate to prevent and stop terrorism during a meeting on Sept. 28, 2001. Taiwan, as a member of the global community, is obligated to contribute to the anti-terrorism project, he said.

"It is time for us to do our part to help," Cheng said.