The Cabinet is considering pressing for tighter gun-control regulations following violent incidents such as the March 19 shooting of President Chen Shui-bian (
According to a Cabinet official who asked not to be identified, the Cabinet is scheduled to review the draft amendments to the Statute Regulating Firearms, Ammunition, Knives and Other Deadly Weapons (
On June 18, Premier Yu Shyi-kun requested government agencies to present to the Cabinet within a week their proposals for strategies to crack down on gangsters and illegal possession of firearms.
His request followed a police shootout with suspected kidnappers in Taichung on June 16 that left two police officers dead. In the election-eve shooting, Chen was gashed across the stomach and Lu was wounded in the knee by bullets fired from a homemade handgun.
In addition to proposing the draft amendments, the Ministry of the Interior also started a three-month amnesty starting July 1 for those holding illegal firearms to hand in the wea-pons to authorities without being charged.
As of July 5, police nationwide have arrested 92 people suspected of being involved in 71 cases of illegal possession of firearms and have cracked down on three criminal groups, as well as taking into custody two people suspected of involvement in a shooting.
The crackdown has resulted in solving 130 outstanding criminal cases, with a total of 145 suspects detained as well as 105 illegal guns and 326 bullets seized.
The draft amendments would impose sentences of up to life imprisonment to those manufacturing, selling or transporting firearms or remade firearms. Under the current law, those manufacturing, selling or transporting firearms are subject to prison terms of up to five years and fines of up to NT$10 million.
Those intentionally using or providing firearms to others for criminal purposes are subject to sentences of up to seven years in prison and fines of up to NT$10 million.
The Cabinet is also considering revoking an article punishing career or elected civil servants who fabricate evidence in order to falsely accuse others of manufacturing, sell-ing, transporting, possessing, hiding, loaning or transferring ownership of firearms, ammunition or deadly weapons.
The draft would also extend the regulations to toy guns. Under the draft, law enforcement officers would be authorized to conduct inspections in toy stores.
Government agencies concerned should make public a list of toy guns with external features, color, structure, materials and firing mechanisms similar to those of real guns. Possessors of such toys would be required to report to authorities.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
China Airlines Ltd (CAL) yesterday morning joined SkyTeam’s Aviation Challenge for the fourth time, operating a demonstration flight for “net zero carbon emissions” from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Bangkok. The flight used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a ratio of up to 40 percent, the highest proportion CAL has achieved to date, the nation’s largest carrier said. Since April, SAF has become available to Taiwanese international carriers at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Kaohsiung International Airport and Taoyuan airport. In previous challenges, CAL operated “net zero carbon emission flights” to Singapore and Japan. At a ceremony at Taoyuan airport, China Airlines chief sustainability
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