Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) and other lawmakers have proposed amendments to the Criminal Code defining four crimes of collusion with foreign powers.
As collusion, which is currently not well-defined under the law, carries a severe penalty, judges tend not to invoke it, Shen said.
After consulting with the National Security Bureau, he and other DPP members have proposed defining four types of criminal behavior that would fall under the category of collusion.
Photo: Reuters
They are publicly declaring or recognizing the right of a foreign power to exercise rule over the Republic of China (ROC); failing to perform one’s official duties as a civil servant of the ROC or committing acts that contravene those duties at the request of a foreign power; assisting a foreign power in attempting to exercise authority over the sovereign territory of the ROC; and endorsing the claims of a foreign power of sovereignty over the territory of the ROC, whether through participation in meetings, signing of petitions or other means.
The draft also sets out hierarchical penalties for different targets, mainly civil servants.
Highest in the hierarchy is the president and vice president, followed by elected public officials; heads and deputy heads of agencies; high-ranking members of the Executive Yuan; justices, examination committee members and members of supervisory committees; and diplomats.
The hierarchy also includes noncommissioned officers and other military personnel, heads of political parties, police officers, Coast Guard Administration personnel, customs officers, firefighters, civil defense committee members, and those in charge of the operations of critical infrastructure, among others.
Civil servants found guilty of collusion could receive up to life imprisonment, while non-public servants would face fixed prison terms of one to seven years, Shen said.
Not all actions perceived as “united front” activity would be punishable under the amendment, he said.
“There are many artists in Taiwan this year who have made pro-China statements, but those artists operate in a free market after all, and it is their personal freedom to pursue opportunities in China,” he said.
However, professors or government officials making such statements are at higher risk of facing legal consequences, he said.
Lawmakers are concerned that current laws encompass a gray area, which China would take advantage of, he said, adding that further revisions would be likely.
Separately, DPP Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) has proposed an amendment to Article 8 of the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法), which would call for the Constitutional Court to rule on the dissolution of a political party in the event that the party or its key members commit acts that contravene the Constitution, disrupt social order or affect national security.
FIREPOWER: On top of the torpedoes, the military would procure Kestrel II anti-tank weapons systems to replace aging license-produced M72 LAW launchers Taiwan is to receive US-made Mark 48 torpedoes and training simulators over the next three years, following delays that hampered the navy’s operational readiness, the Ministry of National Defense’s latest budget proposal showed. The navy next year would acquire four training simulator systems for the torpedoes and take receipt of 14 torpedoes in 2027 and 10 torpedoes in 2028, the ministry said in its budget for the next fiscal year. The torpedoes would almost certainly be utilized in the navy’s two upgraded Chien Lung-class submarines and the indigenously developed Hai Kun, should the attack sub successfully reach operational status. US President Donald Trump
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to start construction of its 1.4-nanometer chip manufacturing facilities at the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP, 中部科學園區) as early as October, the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) reported yesterday, citing the park administration. TSMC acquired land for the second phase of the park’s expansion in Taichung in June. Large cement, construction and facility engineering companies in central Taiwan have reportedly been receiving bids for TSMC-related projects, the report said. Supply-chain firms estimated that the business opportunities for engineering, equipment and materials supply, and back-end packaging and testing could reach as high as
ALL QUIET: The Philippine foreign secretary told senators she would not respond to questions about whether Lin Chia-lung was in the country The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday confirmed that a business delegation is visiting the Philippines, but declined to say whether Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) is part of the group, as Philippine lawmakers raised questions over Lin’s reported visit. The group is being led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Huang Chao-chin (黃昭欽), Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) chairman Joseph Lyu (呂桔誠) and US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) vice president Lotta Danielsson, the ministry said in a statement. However, sources speaking on condition of anonymity said that Lin is leading the delegation of 70 people. Filinvest New Clark City Innovation Park
TPP RALLY: The clashes occurred near the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall on Saturday at a rally to mark the anniversary of a raid on former TPP chairman Ko Wen-je People who clashed with police at a Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) rally in Taipei on Saturday would be referred to prosecutors for investigation, said the Ministry of the Interior, which oversees the National Police Agency. Taipei police had collected evidence of obstruction of public officials and coercion by “disorderly” demonstrators, as well as contraventions of the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法), the ministry said in a statement on Sunday. It added that amid the “severe pushing and jostling” by some demonstrators, eight police officers were injured, including one who was sent to hospital after losing consciousness, allegedly due to heat stroke. The Taipei
RSS