Taiwan proposes tougher penalties for military service evasion

TAIPEI — Taiwan has proposed amendments that would impose stricter penalties on men who evade mandatory military service, including a minimum one-year prison sentence and tougher punishment for those who deliberately delay conscription until they are no longer eligible.The Interior Ministry said the proposal was prompted by several high-profile cases involving entertainers accused of avoiding military service, according to local media reports.Describing military service as a constitutional obligation for eligible men, the ministry said recent incidents involving conscripts overstaying visas abroad, intentionally injuring themselves or altering their physical condition to avoid service had drawn significant public attention.Officials said existing penalties have not been sufficient to deter such behavior.Under current law, individuals convicted of evading military service can face prison terms of up to five years. However, the ministry noted that many cases result in deferred prosecution, non-prosecution decisions or prison terms of six months or less that can be converted into fines.To strengthen deterrence and ensure fairness in fulfilling military obligations, the proposed amendments would set prison sentences ranging from one to five years for military service evasion.The draft legislation also seeks to increase penalties for individuals who intentionally postpone conscription until they exceed the age limit for military service eligibility.