Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday blocked a proposal by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus to create a legislative panel to probe allegations of illegal wiretapping by the government’s intelligence agencies.
The KMT-dominated Procedure Committee voted down the DPP’s motion to submit the proposal to the plenary session for a first reading.
KMT caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) told reporters that the KMT supported establishing an investigative committee but believed the proposal should not be passed hastily. More cross-party negotiation is needed, Lin said.
DPP caucus whip Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) said that the KMT’s reason was acceptable, but he was nevertheless disappointed by the committee’s decision.
The DPP’s proposal followed media allegations that illegal wiretapping by intelligence agencies had increased in the past year.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) later ordered national security agencies to probe the allegations and called for severe punishment for any officials who disobeyed his campaign promise to put an end to illegal wiretapping.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), meanwhile, said the legislature would investigate the allegations.
Under the Communication Security and Surveillance Act (通訊保障及監察法), illegal wiretapping is punishable by up to five years in prison, while leaking information from legal wiretapping is punishable by up to three years.
National Security Bureau Director Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) on Monday last week said he would step down if the bureau had conducted any illegal wiretapping.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition