The Executive Yuan today plans to approve amendments to seven laws to protect undersea cables and other critical infrastructure, applying the same penalties for damaging water and natural gas pipelines as for damaging submarine cables.
The amendments also include provisions for confiscating vessels used in such crimes and require all ships to keep their automatic identification systems turned on or face penalties.
Of the seven laws, five address penalties and complementary measures concerning undersea cable sabotage, while two address vessel control, Minister Without Portfolio Lin Ming-hsin (林明昕) said.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
The first five laws are the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法), Electricity Act (電業法), Natural Gas Enterprise Law (天然氣事業法), Tap Water Act (自來水法) and Meteorological Act (氣象法). The two covering vessel control are the Commercial Port Law (商港法) and the Shipping Act (船舶法).
While critical infrastructure is already protected by law, the amendments extend this protection to include water and natural gas pipelines, with penalties to be applied according to the Telecommunications Management Act, Lin said.
Under the act, those who endanger the normal functioning of a submarine cable by means including theft and destruction face a prison term of one to seven years and a fine of up to NT$10 million (US$332,292).
Those found guilty of intentionally endangering national security or social stability face a sentence of three to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to NT$50 million.
If their actions result in disaster, death or serious injury, the maximum penalty is life in prison and a fine of up to NT$100 million, while negligence is punishable by up to six months in prison, detention or a fine of up to NT$2 million.
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