The Ministry of National Defense’s proposed amendments to the General Mobilization Act (全民防衛動員準備法) have raised concerns over whether the changes would affect personal liberties.
The act was promulgated on Nov. 14, 2001, and was amended in 2014 and 2019.
The ministry yesterday said the law is focused too much on preparatory measures and lacks regulations defining a chain of command, a legal basis for expropriation during times of war and other issues.
Photo: CNA
The efficacy of the nation’s mobilization efforts is vital to its survival, the ministry said.
Article 13 of the act stipulates that all units in charge of mobilization readiness should ensure that personnel, equipment and facilities are prepared through inspections, inventory management and planning, to ensure the nation can defend itself in the event of an invasion.
A declaration of mobilization shows that a country is entering a time of alert, and necessary measures must be implemented, the ministry said.
The proposed amendments would protect the nation and ensure that Taiwanese can survive an attack, the ministry said, adding that it would consider all opinions before tendering another version for review.
It said it welcomes public input on the amendments, and called for calm and level-minded debates on the issue.
The ministry meanwhile denied a media report that the proposed amendment sought to use child labor to manufacture arms.
A section of the bill states: “School defense groups should assist with the production of military supplies.”
The ministry said the sentence does not mean that students would help manufacture ammunition.
The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that the Ministry of Education had asked local education offices nationwide to prepare lists of students aged 16 or above for mobilization purposes.
The newspaper said the list would be uploaded to the All-out Mobilization Defense Agency Web site and that the pupils would be used to manufacture munitions.
The ministry said creating such lists was regular practice, adding that the information would be uploaded to the Internet for ease of administrative management.
By law, school defense groups are not responsible for the wartime production of ammunition at military plants, the ministry said, adding that the groups would help manufacture 10 types of products, including food.
Additional reporting by CNA
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