Taiwan's lawmakers are proposing amendments to the Anti-Infiltration Act to impose minimum sentences and tighter rules for political candidates amid concerns over Beijing-linked infiltration. Critics warn the changes could amount to more social control. The proposals come under review following disproportionately light sentences in past cases.
Taiwan's legislature's Interior Affairs Committee reviewed proposed changes to the Anti-Infiltration Act on Monday, January 12, six years after the law took effect in 2020. The amendments address growing government concerns that prosecutions have led to disproportionately light sentences, despite the heavy investigative burden in security cases. Official statistics show prosecutors have indicted 127 people under the law since 2020, with only five receiving final guilty verdicts and average sentences ranging from three to six months—outcomes that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers say blunt the law's deterrent effect.
Lawmaker Wang Ting-yu, one of 20 sponsors of the amendment, noted: "Investigations into infiltration cases were typically cross-border and covert. As a result, they require far more manpower and resources than ordinary criminal cases."
The proposals also include tighter rules for political candidates to curb Beijing's influence. Critics, including the Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party, warn that the changes amount to more social control. Enacted to counter Communist Party infiltration, the law highlights Taiwan's ongoing vigilance against mainland threats, though light sentences underscore enforcement challenges.
