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Cabinet's anti-terror bill blocked by pan-blue legislators

The Cabinet's recently introduced anti-terrorism bill was blocked by pan-blue lawmakers in the legislature's Procedure Committee yesterday.

Pan-blue lawmakers said that the act was superfluous given existing laws and regulations concerning national security and that it violated human rights.

The bill, announced during last week's Cabinet meeting, would have granted the Cabinet broad powers of investigation and the authority to take control of security agencies under loosely defined requirements with minimal oversight.

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

It also stipulated 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).

"With two important elections approaching, I think the government had an ulterior motive for proposing this bill," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) said.

Pan said that the bill would enhance the government's power to eavesdrop, which in turn would become a political tool to attack the opposition during the elections.

"It's not that we are against anti-terrorism. But it's been six years since the Sept. 11 attacks. Isn't it a little late for the act to be introduced?" People First Party Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) said.

"The Executive Yuan deserves to be condemned for the delay," he added.

Chang said that the government was already able to undertake anti-terrorism activities with regulations stipulated in the National Security Law (國家安全法), Money Laundering control Act (洗錢防制法), Communication Security and Surveillance Act (通訊保障及監察法) and National Intelligence Act (國家情報工作法).

"Given all these existing regulations, it would be redundant to enact the Cabinet's proposed anti-terrorism bill," Chang said.
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