Taiwan considers penalties for transnational repression: Cabinet

Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) Taiwan's government is considering legislation to penalize individuals who engage in "transnational repression" in Taiwan, Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said Thursday.

Lee said the Cabinet was considering amendments to the Anti-Infiltration Act to establish penalties for individuals who engage in transnational repression on behalf of an "external hostile force."

Actions that could constitute offenses under the proposed amendments include surveillance, harassment and intimidation, Lee said.

"We will use clearer, more specific rules to protect public safety in the future," Lee said.

"Once the required legal procedures are complete, we will submit the draft amendments to the Legislative Yuan as soon as possible. We hope the Legislative Yuan will review them promptly," she added.

Lee made the remarks at a weekly Cabinet news conference when asked how the government would respond to attempts backed by the Chinese government to pressure people in Taiwan into making political statements.

The question followed apologies recently posted by entertainer Kevin Tsai (蔡康永) on Weibo and RedNote (Xiaohongshu) after he appeared at an event marking the opening of the campaign headquarters for Puma Shen (沈伯洋), the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate.

Shen, an expert on China's cognitive warfare and disinformation campaigns, is among 14 individuals, most of them affiliated with the DPP, whom the Chinese Communist Party has designated as "die-hard Taiwan independence separatists."

"I have always hoped that the two sides of the [Taiwan] Strait can interact amicably. I have never supported Taiwan independence," Tsai wrote. He also apologized to business partners and fans he may have disappointed.

Many in Taiwan interpreted Tsai's posts as apologies made under pressure from China.

Tsai has not commented on whether he made the posts under duress.

The incident drew comparisons to a similar case in 2016, when Taiwanese K-pop idol Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜) of Twice issued a recorded apology after briefly waving Taiwanese and South Korean flags on a South Korean television show. In the video, Chou said she was "proud to be Chinese."

(By Sean Lin)

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Source: Focus Taiwan