Those who participate in or sponsor terrorism inside and outside of the country will be subject to criminal prosecutions, if the draft bill of an anti-terrorism act is passed into law in the legislature.
The Ministry of Justice yesterday unveiled the draft bill of the anti-terrorism law, which is scheduled for further review at the Executive Yuan sometime this week.
According to Tsai Pi-yu (蔡碧玉), director of the Department of Prosecutorial Affairs under the justice ministry, the enactment of the bill was prompted by the recent string of terrorist attacks in the US, Bali and the Philippines.
"When the issue of terrorism was first brought up at the strategy-planning meeting (
Following the two attacks, the DPP, chaired by President Chen Shui-bian (
In addition to requesting the government to make public the latest status of international terrorist activities on a regular basis, the party called on the government to establish a special unit dedicated to anti-terrorism actions and formulate protection measures against possible bio-chemical attacks.
A massive explosion from a car bomb destroyed a nightclub on the tourist island of Bali on Oct. 13, killing 187 people and wounding more than 300.
Under the draft of the anti-terrorism law, the Executive Yuan would be made responsible for convening the Cabinet-level anti-terrorism task force, in which the National Security Bureau under the Presidential Office and the Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Justice, would be the two main policy executors.
The bureau would be empowered to tap or obstruct telecommunication channels of foreign nationals who are suspected of terrorist activity and the prosecutor's office would conduct the same surveillance on Taiwanese nationals who are suspected of terrorist activity.
Convicted members of terror organizations would be subject to a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of NT$100 million.
Individuals found sponsoring a terror organization would face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of NT$100 million.
Terror suspects would be detained for 24 hours for interrogation and their vehicles or communication equipment could be impounded.
Their real estate, personal property and bank accounts could be blocked for a maximum of two months.
A "terrorist" is defined as a person who participates in or sponsors a terror activity.
"Terror activity" is defined as the criminal act committed by individuals or organizations intimidating or endangering public security based on their political, religious, racial or ideological beliefs.
A "terror organization" is defined as an institute having a membership of three people or above and whose aim is to practice terrorism.
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