Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have proposed an amendment to more clearly define which actions count as “undermining the nation’s national security,” aiming to penalize retired military officers who support Chinese propaganda activities.
DPP legislators Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), Michelle Lin (林楚茵) and others proposed to amend Article 9-3 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).
The act stipulates that no person who previously served as deputy minister, major general, chief officer or higher rank in government agencies related to national security shall participate in any activity held by organizations in China which in turn harms national dignity.
Photo: Lin Liang-sheng, Taipei Times
Activities that harm national dignity are defined as “saluting the flag or emblems, singing anthems or any other similar behavior that symbolize the political authority of the Mainland Area.”
The proposed amendment replaces “other similar behavior” with “actions aligned with political propaganda that support China’s ‘united front’ tactics,” due to the former statement’s ambiguity, legislators said.
Some retired military officers have justified China’s military actions around Taiwan and sympathized with Chinese propaganda in interviews with China’s state media, posing a national security risk, the legislators added.
If the amendment is passed, penalties could be imposed on retired officials or military officers who cooperate with China’s “united front” propaganda efforts, they said.
Some military personnel have made remarks in support of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, cooperated with Chinese propaganda or advocated for Beijing’s political agenda in Taiwan, Wang said yesterday.
That behavior is difficult to penalize, but the public strongly dislikes it, especially when it comes from retired military officers who are receiving pensions funded by taxpayers, Wang added.
Whether retired military officers’ cooperation with Chinese propaganda is illegal would be determined by prosecutors, but loopholes in national security laws must be addressed first, he said.
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