Lawmakers yesterday weighed in on calls to amend the National Security Act (國家安全法) — an issue that has generated much public discussion since Su Chii-cherng (蘇啟誠), director-general of the Osaka branch of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, committed suicide last week.
Su was allegedly the victim of fake news disseminated by a number of Chinese agencies, including Xinhua news agency and the Guancha Syndicate, which earlier this month reported that the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) sent a shuttle bus to Kansai International Airport and evacuated “Chinese” stranded by Typhoon Jebi, including some Taiwanese.
Su said in his suicide note that he had been troubled by the “news,” which was proven false by the Japanese airport after Su’s death.
When asked yesterday whether the Ministry of the Interior was going to amend the act to combat fake news, Executive Yuan deputy spokesman Ting Yun-kung (丁允恭) said that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) had tendered a motion to amend it.
The government believes that agendas behind fake news reports from overseas could pose national security risks and must not be overlooked, Ting said.
The ministry and the National Communications Commission are reviewing the act and other regulations, and assessing the need for an amendment to curb fake news, he said, adding that the government would reference laws passed by other democratic nations.
Yeh yesterday said that her draft amendment seeks to include the “fifth domain” (the Internet) within the scope of national security.
“The sovereignty of the Republic of China covers the cyberspace delineated by its Internet infrastructure as well as its territories,” the amendment reads.
In a globalized and information-based era, the nation is under threat by state-sponsored and private hackers, who infiltrate and sabotage the nation’s information infrastructure, Yeh said.
Asked whether the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would propose legislation to curb fake news, KMT caucus secretary-general William Tseng (曾銘宗) said it would not, as such a move could limit press freedom and freedom of speech, which Taiwan cherishes.
Most nations do not have an agency that governs the distribution of news, but place the matter in the hands of self-regulating organizations, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS