An anti-terrorism law approved by the Cabinet yesterday that includes the death sentence does not contradict the government's goal of abolishing executions, a Cabinet official said yesterday.
"It's indeed the ultimate goal of both the Presidential Office and the Executive Yuan to abolish the death penalty and we've been making efforts to achieve the goal," said Minister without Portfolio Hsu Chih-hsiung (許志雄), who was in charge of reviewing the draft of the anti-terrorism act (反恐怖行動法).
"However, it's a time-consuming process and can only be achieved by gradually phasing it out," Hsu said.
Among the obstacles the Cabinet faces are that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) doesn't have an absolute majority in the legislature.
The proposal also lacks universal support among the public, some of whom fear that abolishing the death penalty might send the wrong message to violent criminals.
To gradually phase out the death penalty, Hsu said that the Cabinet has approved draft amendments to the Criminal Code.
The draft, which has been bogged down in the legislative process since October last year, would also make it harder for convicts serving a life sentence to get parole.
The draft would also raise the threshold for death-row inmates to get their sentences commuted.
Hsu made the remarks after the weekly closed-door Cabinet meeting in which it approved the draft bill of the anti-terrorism act.
Hsu said that the law aimed to bring Taiwan in line with global trends.
"According to the United Nations' Convention to prevent and punish acts of terrorism, it's advisable for all contracting states to adopt general standards that will progressively develop international law as regards cooperation in the prevention and punishment of terrorist activities," Hsu said.
Although Taiwan is not a member of the UN, as a part of the global community the nation is obliged to safeguard international peace, Hsu said.
According to the draft, terrorists convicted of engaging in terrorist activities and causing death would face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of death.
A jail term of up to five years and a fine of up to NT$100 million could be imposed on those convicted of conspiring in terrorist activities. Those providing or soliciting funds to further a terrorist activity would be subject to a jail term of between one and seven years and a fine of up to NT$10 million.
If approved by the legislature, the draft will also empower the National Security Bureau to intercept wire, oral and electronic communications.
The bureau could authorize the installation and use of so-called tap-and-trace devices, which monitor callers' telephone numbers, anywhere in the country in the course of a criminal investigation.
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