The legislature’s Economics Committee today passed a preliminary review of proposed 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.
Under the draft amendments, individuals convicted of intentional damage to submarine water pipelines, natural gas pipelines or undersea power cables face up to seven years in prison.
The legislation would also allow the confiscation of vessels used in the commission of the crime.
Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration
The Executive Yuan last month advanced amendments to seven laws, including 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 Tap Water Act (自來水法) and the Meteorological Act (氣象法), the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Shipping Act (船舶法).
The proposed amendments came after 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 sync with international laws.
The Economics Committee today discussed amendment bills concerning Article 71-1 of the Electricity Act, Article 55-1 of the Natural Gas Enterprise Act and Article 97-1 of the Tap Water Act.
The committee passed a preliminary review of articles stipulating that individuals 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 face a prison sentence of one to seven years and a maximum fine of NT$10 million (US$332,149), while negligence is punishable by up to six months in prison, detention or a fine of up to NT$2 million.
A resolution was also passed to request the Ministry of the Interior to publicly release maps of the undersea cables and pipelines and to cooperate with relevant agencies.
This is to step up public awareness before the amendments are passed and to prevent offenders from claiming ignorance, thereby aiding law enforcement, the committee said.
Additional reporting by Reuters, Chen Chih-yu and Shelley Shan
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