The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus unveiled an anti-infiltration bill yesterday, proposing that illegal disruption of social order or assemblies under the command or request of “infiltration sources” should be subject to a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a fine of NT$5 million (US$163,897).
The draft is needed to improve the nation’s legal infrastructure against increasing anti-democratic threats by hostile external forces, the DPP caucus said.
These forces have not backed down in their attempts to annex Taiwan, but have been intensifying the means by which they intend to meddle in elections and rattle social order, it said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
This poses a serious threat to the nation’s sovereignty and democracy, it said.
“Infiltration sources” are defined in the bill as organizations or institutions affiliated with the government, political parties or other political groups of a foreign hostile force, and individuals dispatched by such entities.
A hostile force is defined as a country or group at war with or in a military standoff with Taiwan that upholds the idea of jeopardizing the nation’s sovereignty by non-peaceful means.
The 12-article draft prohibits anyone from making political donations, influencing elections, proposing the recall of government officials or launching public referendums at the instruction or with the financial support of an infiltration source.
It also prohibits lobbying and using illegal means to disrupt social order or jeopardize a public assembly at the instruction or with the financial support of a source of infiltration.
The caucus said it has been working on the bill for some time and that it has nothing to do with claims by self-proclaimed Chinese spy William Wang Liqiang (王立強) that he had been tasked with infiltrating Taiwan and interfering in elections.
“It is the shared duty of the ruling and opposition parties to maintain national security,” DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said, calling on the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to support the proposal.
Hopefully, it could be passed before the current legislative session ends at the end of next month, Ker said.
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
Instead of threatening tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, the US should try to reinforce cooperation with Taiwan on semiconductor development to take on challenges from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a Taiwanese think tank said. The administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose across-the-board import duties of 32 percent on Taiwan-made goods and levy a separate tariff on semiconductors, which Taiwan is hoping to avoid. The Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET), a National Science and Technology Council think tank, said that US efforts should focus on containing China’s semiconductor rise rather than impairing Taiwan. “Without
An SOS message in a bottle has been found in Ireland that is believed to have come from the Taiwanese captain of fishing vessel Yong Yu Sing No. 18 (永裕興18號), who has been missing without a trace for over four years, along with nine Indonesian crew members. The vessel, registered to Suao (蘇澳), went missing near Hawaii on Dec. 30, 2020. The ship has since been recovered, but the 10 crew members have never been found. The captain, surnamed Lee (李), is believed to have signed the note with his name. A post appeared on Reddit on Tuesday after a man
RSS