KMT insisting on caning, planning to propose bill

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) plans to propose amendments to the Criminal Code to allow caning as a punishment for certain crimes, after a proposed caning referendum was vetoed by the Central Election Commission (CEC) last month, KMT Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said yesterday. The party is proposing between three and 12 strokes as punishment for serious crimes, including drug driving that results in death or serious injury, child abuse resulting in death or serious injury, aggravated sexual assault and large-scale fraud, Hung said. The CEC reviewed the referendum proposal on caning on Aug. 28 and ruled that it did not meet the requirements of the Referendum Act (公民投票法). Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) and Hung held a news conference at the KMT caucus on their bill. As the referendum was rejected, the party plans to submit the draft amendments to the legislature for discussion and review, Hung said. Caning would only be used for the most serious crimes and be handed out by the courts on a case-by-case basis and under strict guidelines, he said. Courts would consider the infringement of legally protected interests, the number of victims, the method of the offense, criminal proceeds, the perpetrator’s attitude after the crime and the risk of reoffending, he added. The draft amendments would propose that caning be used as a punishment for large-scale fraud convictions with sentences of at least three years in prison and involving proceeds of at least NT$5 million (US$156,976) or at least three victims, he said. The maximum would remain at 12 strokes even when multiple offenses are combined for sentencing, he said. Caning would not be used on anyone younger than 18 at the time of the offense, or 65 or older, and doctors would first conduct assessments and issue a written opinion. If a doctor determines that caning poses a serious health risk, it would be stopped immediately, he added. If caning cannot be carried out, it would be replaced by a prison sentence. Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said that KMT lawmakers “love caning,” but would not use it for crimes such as offenses committed by legislators, large-scale economic crimes or treason. In cases of sexual assault, the priority should be providing assistance to victims and prevention of such crimes, rather than corporal punishment, Chuang said. For aggravated fraud, focus should be placed on recovering victims’ losses and dismantling criminal organizations rather than assuming that caning would make criminal organizations disband or ensure that the money would be recovered, he added. UNITY: Lai thanked the nations who spoke up for Taiwan, saying that democracies must stand together to face global authoritarian expansion Taiwan yesterday thanked eight European and Indo-Pacific countries for opposing unilateral changes to the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement earlier this week, as well as three of Taiwan’s allies for speaking up for the nation’s participation in the UN at the body’s General Assembly in New York. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) welcomed the support and expressed his appreciation for the countries’ stance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Foreign ministers and senior representatives of Australia, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea and the UK issued a statement on Tuesday PLEA: How the UN addresses Taiwan’s security issue would be a test of its strength and relevance, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine told the UN General Assembly Only Taiwan’s elected government can represent the people of Taiwan, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine said on Friday at the UN General Assembly, calling for the nation’s inclusion in the UN. Taiwan and its 23 million people are a reality, and only its democratically elected government can represent it, Heine said when addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly General Debate. Appropriate ways must be found for Taiwan’s substantive participation in UN meetings if the UN is to be truly inclusive and effective in years to come, she said. UN member states would experience pressure to accept a FACTS DISTORTION: The MAC rejected Xi’s remarks that the US and ‘China’ fought side-by-side during WWII, saying the ROC was Washington’s true ally during the war Taiwan yesterday denounced Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) comments to US President Donald Trump on the nation’s future, after Xi appeared to push Trump for a subtle change in stance that could erode US support for Taiwan. Xi told Trump in Washington on Thursday that he hoped the US would adhere to the “correct position” of opposing Taiwanese independence, according to a Chinese readout of the talks. That would be a tougher version of Washington’s long-standing formulation that it does not “support” independence. There was no immediate White House readout of the exchange. Xi’s remarks represent “the consistent Chinese approach of distorting facts RESILIENCE: Keeping the defense industry’s assembly lines open would prove essential should the nation be involved in a prolonged conflict, a source said The Ministry of National Defense has prepared a NT$22 billion (US$692.3 million) program to acquire about 200 improved Hsiung Feng anti-ship missiles from next year to 2035, a source said. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a high-ranking defense official said the ministry’s plan for enhanced-capability Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III missiles would be funded as part of the regular defense budget. The 200 missiles would be added on top of the 1,400 missiles being funded via the Sea-Air Combat Power Improvement Plan, they said. The program is not about padding missile numbers, but expanding the capability to defeat