Legislators have proposed amendments to broaden the criminal scope of organizations or people engaging in China’s “united front” activities and increase punishments.
As China’s “united front” tactics continue to intensify, President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 instructed the government to propose responsive strategies.
Lawmakers of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), of which Lai is chairman, last week proposed three amendments.
Photo: I-Hwa Cheng, Bloomberg
DPP Legislator Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) proposed an amendment to the National Security Act (國家安全法) to include people or organizations which pass on instructions for “united front” activities through second or third-hand intermediaries under the jurisdiction of national security penalties.
Article 2 of the National Security Act says that “any person may not engage in the following acts for a foreign country, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, foreign hostile forces, or various organizations, institutions, or groups established or substantially controlled by them or the persons dispatched by such organizations, institutions or groups.”
Wang’s proposed amendment adds “or receive or pass on instruction, commissions or funding from them.”
As current regulations only permit punishing the initiators of such organizations, the draft includes wording such as “operating, managing, or executing affairs,” expanding the criminal scope to those who are involved in these organizations.
The draft also stipulates that military personnel, civil servants or teachers who contravene the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) would be stripped of their retirement benefits, as it constitutes a betrayal of their duty to the nation.
DPP legislators Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆), Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) and Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) proposed another amendment to the National Security Act to increase penalties by up to 50 percent for active or retired public servants who develop organizations on behalf of hostile foreign forces including those in China, Hong Kong and Macau.
The draft also stipulates that public servants who are sentenced to prison for three years or more, two to three years, or one to two years would have their retirement payments reduced by 50 percent, 30 percent and 20 percent respectively.
Increasing penalties by up to 50 percent would make China’s infiltration methods targeting active or retired military personnel, police, elected officials and civil servants less likely to succeed, Lai Jui-lung said.
DPP legislators Michelle Lin (林楚茵), Lee Po-yi (李柏毅) and Chen proposed an amendment to the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法) stipulating that those handling investigations into contraventions of the law must have professional national security knowledge.
In addition, the draft proposes harsher penalties for intelligence personnel who leak national security information.
Meanwhile, Taiwan People’s Party lawmakers have also proposed an amendment to the National Security Act, calling for heavier penalties against those who leak classified information to China, Hong Kong, Macau or other foreign hostile forces.
The draft also stipulates that if a civil servant or government agency director contravenes the Civil Servants’ Appointment Act (公務人員任用法) but fails to conduct a special review, the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration would impose a fine ranging of NT$1 million to NT$5 million (US$32,995 to US$164,973).
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