Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) personnel could soon be allowed to use weapons to defend themselves or others without firing warning shots, after the Legislative Yuan Internal Administration Committee yesterday passed the first reading of draft amendments.
The amendments to the Use of Weapons and Requisite Instruments by the Coast Guard Authority Act (海岸巡防機關器械使用條例) are to be considered on the legislature floor without interparty negotiations, the committee told a news conference in Taipei.
The Ocean Affairs Council released the draft amendments last month, citing a need to raise the coast guard’s rules of engagement to the National Police Agency’s standards.
Photo: Yang Cheng-yu, Taipei Times
The draft — which proposes 19 changes to the act’s 17 articles — would significantly change the CGA’s operational guidelines, the council said at the time.
The amendments would authorize coast guard personnel to defend life with any weapon at their disposal, except naval guns, instead of being limited to the current law’s specific classes of weapons and implements.
The council is to determine via an administrative order which weapons and restraints to assign to coast guard personnel, the amendments say, adding that the use of weapons or other implements to capture resisting subjects, or prevent detainee escape, would be allowed when necessary.
Objects that happen to be within reach could be used as a weapon or restraint if issued equipment is unavailable or inappropriate in the circumstance, the amendments say.
Use of naval artillery could be authorized at the discretion of the CGA director-general, or the highest-ranking CGA officer if the former cannot be reached, or in urgent situations.
Such weapons can currently only be used after firearms, blades or other authorized implements have proven ineffective.
If use of force by coast guard personnel results in a death or injury, an investigation is to be conducted by a council-appointed committee of experts, while those injured by use of force could make a claim under the State Compensation Act (國家賠償法), the amendments say.
The amendments would empower coast guard personnel to use weapons and restraints more effectively while establishing an impartial investigative mechanism to protect human rights, the council said.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
TRANSPORT DISRUPTION: More than 100 ferry services were suspended due to rough seas and strong winds, and eight domestic flights were canceled, the ministry said Tropical Storm Wipha intensified slightly yesterday as it passed closest to Taiwan, dumping more than 200mm of rain in Hualien and Taitung counties, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 11am, Wipha was about 210km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and was moving west-northwest at 27km per hour (kph). The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 101kph and gusts reaching 126kph, with a 150km radius of strong winds, CWA data showed. Wipha’s outer rainbands began sweeping across Taiwan early yesterday, delivering steady rainfall in the east and scattered showers in other regions, forecasters said. More heavy rain was expected, especially in the eastern
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
RSS