National security officials have recommended criminalizing the display of the five-star People’s Republic of China (PRC) flag under social order law, as legislators deliberate an amendment that would consider the act a national security offense.
A bill proposed by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) and supported by 29 other lawmakers would amend the National Security Act (國家安全法) to ban actions that damage national identity or work in favor of a hostile foreign power.
Those found guilty could be fined NT$10,000 to NT$100,000, and related articles would be confiscated.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
It would also include fines of up to NT$50,000 for “raising, lowering, hanging, displaying, holding or brandishing” any political or military flag of a hostile foreign power in public places.
However, the rules would not apply to events that have been given approval to fly such flags by a competent authority or when they are flown to accord with international convention.
The PRC flag problem has existed for a long time, but amending national security law is not the appropriate way to impose criminal liability for contraventions of “national identity,” security officials said.
They instead recommended changing the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法) to legislate against such acts, with fines of NT$10,000 to NT$50,000.
The National Security Act covers serious felonies, an official said, adding that it is not suitable for criminalizing the display of a flag.
If law enforcement officials have trouble determining whether something is in contravention of national security law, they could be criticized for running a police state, they said.
On the other hand, if the issue continues to be ignored, it would allow China to keep using the nation’s democratic principles for its own “united front” work, they added.
After reviewing the proposal, the official recommended applying a minor punishment.
The issue is ultimately one of social order, as seeing the PRC flag causes discomfort to many Taiwanese and could lead to violent conflict, the official said.
The National Security Council has reportedly already suggested that the Anti-infiltration Act (反滲透法) be amended to criminalize the sharing of political propaganda or misinformation under the instruction or assistance of a foreign power.
ANOTHER EMERGES: The CWA yesterday said this year’s fourth storm of the typhoon season had formed in the South China Sea, but was not expected to affect Taiwan Tropical Storm Gaemi has intensified slightly as it heads toward Taiwan, where it is expected to affect the country in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, the 120km-radius storm was 800km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving at 9kph northwest, the agency said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued tonight at the earliest, it said, adding that the storm is projected to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday. Gaemi’s potential effect on Taiwan remains unclear, as that would depend on its direction, radius and intensity, forecasters said. Former Weather Forecast
As COVID-19 cases in Japan have been increasing for 10 consecutive weeks, people should get vaccinated before visiting the nation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. The centers reported 773 hospitalizations and 124 deaths related to COVID-19 in Taiwan last week. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) on Tuesday said the number of weekly COVID-19 cases reported in Japan has been increasing since mid-May and surpassed 55,000 cases from July 8 to July 14. The average number of COVID-19 patients at Japan’s healthcare facilities that week was also 1.39 times that of the week before and KP.3 is the dominant
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) working group for Taiwan-related policies is likely to be upgraded to a committee-level body, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said. As Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is increasingly likely to upgrade the CCP’s Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, Taiwanese authorities should prepare by researching Xi and the CCP, the report said. At the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, which ended on Thursday last week, the party set a target of 2029 for the completion of some tasks, meaning that Xi is likely preparing to
US-CHINA TRADE DISPUTE: Despite Beijing’s offer of preferential treatment, the lure of China has dimmed as Taiwanese and international investors move out Japan and the US have become the favored destinations for Taiwanese graduates as China’s attraction has waned over the years, the Ministry of Labor said. According to the ministry’s latest income and employment advisory published this month, 3,215 Taiwanese university graduates from the class of 2020 went to Japan, surpassing for the first time the 2,881 graduates who went to China. A total of 2,300 graduates from the class of 2021 went to the US, compared with the 2,262 who went to China, the document showed. The trend continued for the class of 2023, of whom 1,460 went to Japan, 1,334 went to