South Korea passes first Anti-terror Bill
South Korea’s Parliament has passed the country’s first anti-terror bill that was first proposed 15 years ago in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in US.
Among total 300 parliamentary seats of the National Assembly, only 156 lawmakers voted in favour of country’s first anti-terrorism legislation.
Key provisions Anti-terror law
- Defines terror as an act that can put national security and citizens’ safety at risk including disturbance of national, regional and foreign government exercising its authority.
- Allow National Intelligence Service (NIS) to collect personal information, conversation and location in mobile phones from suspected terrorists.
- It also enables NIS to track bank accounts and immigration records of the suspects.
- Intelligence agencies including NIS will report to the Prime Minister before they exercise their new power.
- Prime minister headed committee will decide anti-terror policies to be formed, as well as an anti-terror centre under the committee to manage related policing authorities.
- Those found guilty under this law can face capital punishment of life imprisonment or over 10 years’ incarceration and those who join a foreign terrorist group can face over 5 years imprisonment.
Related Posts
Month: Current Affairs - March, 2016