The Executive Yuan on Thursday unveiled draft amendments to enable coast guard personnel to use weapons to defend themselves or others without firing warning shots.
The proposed amendments to the Act on the Use of Weapons and Requisite Instruments by the Coast Guard Authority (海岸巡防機關器械使用條例) are a major overhaul of the law, making 19 changes to its 17 articles, the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) said.
The law, which has not been changed since its promulgation in 2003, contains outdated concepts regarding the use of force, it said.
Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
The bill would increase the flexibility of judgement of coast guard personnel by allowing them to use improvised instruments or methods in the discharge of their duties if issued weapons cannot be used effectively, the council said.
The amendments define the circumstances in which lethal force can be used without first firing warning shots so that coast guard personnel would be secure in their right to use force to defend themselves or others, it said.
An investigative unit would be created within the coast guard to conduct post-incident reviews after a shooting or other use of weapons to ensure that the application of force was justified, the council said.
Additionally, victims of improper use of force by the coast guard would be able to make a claim under the State Compensation Act (國家賠償法), moving civil liability from individual coast guard personnel to the government, it said.
The proposed amendments must be passed by the legislature before they take effect.
Separately, the Executive Yuan approved a draft amendment to the Marine Pollution Control Act (海洋污染防治法) to raise fines significantly for certain types of violations, if passed by the legislature.
The draft amendment proposed by the OAC would increase fines from between NT$300,000 and NT$1.5 million (US$9,851 and US$49,255) to between NT$1 million and NT$100 million for those illegally engaged in oil conveyance, marine construction projects, marine dumping or other activities that cause marine pollution.
The revisions also propose to increase fines for companies that receive government approval to engage in such activities, but fail to assist with an emergency pollution incident, from between NT$100,000 and NT$500,000 to between NT$500,000 and NT$50 million.
Additionally, the revisions would increase the maximum fine to NT$30 million from NT$1.5 million for those who contravene marine disposal procedures or licensing regulations, or who dump in marine zones other than those designated by the central government.
The proposed amendments would also place fines ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$30 million on those who use marine vessels to dump wastewater, waste, oil and other substances in the ocean.
The draft states that licensed marine dumpers, oil tanker transport services and importers of specified substances designated by the law, as well as operators of marine projects and marine facilities of a certain scale, would be charged marine pollution prevention and control fees that would go toward an ocean pollution prevention and control fund.
The draft also includes a clause for whistle-blowers to encourage the reporting of illegal activities, granting cash awards to thos who provide information that leads to a successful enforcement action.
The proposed amendments are to be sent to the Legislative Yuan for review, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
RSS