The legislature’s Economics Committee yesterday passed a preliminary review of amendments to seven laws to protect critical underwater infrastructure that would apply the same penalties for damaging water and natural gas pipelines to damaging submarine cables.
People convicted of intentionally damaging submarine water pipelines, natural gas pipelines or undersea power cables would face up to seven years in prison, the proposed changes say.
They would also allow the confiscation of vessels used to commit the crime.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Power Co
The Executive Yuan last month advanced amendments to seven acts: the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法), the Electricity Act (電業法), the Natural Gas Enterprise Act (天然氣事業法), the Water Supply Act (自來水法), the Meteorological Act (氣象法), the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Shipping Act (船舶法).
The proposed changes follow a spate of undersea cable disruptions around Taiwan.
In April, prosecutors for the first time charged a Chinese ship captain with intentionally damaging undersea cables off Taiwan in February.
The Legislative Yuan’s Research Bureau in March published a report urging the government to stipulate a specific law to manage the installation and protection of undersea cables, which should also be in step with similar international laws.
The Economics Committee yesterday discussed bills concerning Article 71-1 of the Electricity Act, Article 55-1 of the Natural Gas Enterprise Act and Article 97-1 of the Water Supply Act.
It passed a preliminary review of articles, which say that those who threaten the normal functioning of natural gas unloading and storage equipment, undersea water supply pipelines or undersea power cables through theft, destruction or other illegal means would face a prison sentence of one to seven years and a maximum fine of NT$10 million (US$325,574), while negligence would be punishable by up to six months in prison, detention or a maximum fine of NT$2 million.
A resolution was also passed to ask the Ministry of the Interior to publicly release maps of the undersea cables and pipelines, and to cooperate with other agencies to increase public awareness before the amendments are passed, and to prevent offenders from claiming ignorance, which would aid enforcement and prosecution, the committee said.
Additional reporting by Reuters, Chen Chih-yu and Shelley Shan
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