An online petition to amend the Criminal Code to ban the Chinese national flag was yesterday rejected by the Ministry of Justice, which said it would infringe on people’s freedom of speech.
The petition, proposed on the National Development Council’s Public Policy Network Participation Platform, seeks to prevent secessionist activities and incitation of aggression by banning the public display of the Chinese flag.
The prevalence of the flag over the past decade has lowered people’s guard against China, which would aid its efforts to annex Taiwan, the petition said.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
The petition has gathered more than 5,000 signatures, requiring the Ministry of Justice to formally issue a response.
If hanging the Chinese flag were deemed an act of secession that could draw criminal punishment, it would be an obvious breach of the Constitution, which protects freedom of speech, the ministry said.
Freedom of speech is indispensable for a democracy, as it is a way to achieve self-realization, exchange opinions, guarantee the right to pursue knowledge, form public opinion, and facilitate reasonable political and social activities, the ministry said.
The proposed amendment is disproportionate, as successionism is a political concept that lacks a clear and objective rationale, it said, adding that its definition could be changed by the political climate or the preference of law enforcers.
The reasoning behind the proposal is esoteric and runs counter to the principle that laws should be made as specific as possible, it said.
Existing laws already stipulate punishments for people who attempt to undermine the nation’s system, occupy its territory, illegally change the Constitution or subvert state sovereignty, it added.
If the Criminal Code were amended, it would deny suspects the right to seek judicial relief, as it would be inappropriate for the ministry to deliberate on issues at the constitutional level, such as the nation’s territory, it said.
Alternatively, the punishments would be unlikely to be enforced due to the impracticality of the legislation, it added.
The ministry said it would not accept the petition and has no plans to take further action.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS