Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have proposed revising military laws to stipulate that any active-duty military personnel who express allegiance to the enemy could face two to seven years in prison, adding that soldiers’ loyalty to the nation means “no freedom of expression.”

In the past few years some military personnel have pledged allegiance to China through videos and documents, but it is not punishable under the law.

In its draft amendment to Article 24 of the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍刑法), the Ministry of National Defense proposed only making actions that “harm the military’s interests” punishable, citing freedom of speech in its reasoning for the draft amendment.