Lienchiang District Prosecutors Office Press Release

There have been a number of submarine cable breakage incidents in our country recently. On January 22, the submarine cable in the Matsu area broke again. According to statistical reports, four cable failure incidents have occurred in sensitive waters on both sides of the Taiwan Strait this year, three in 2014 and three in 2013, respectively, sparking public debate. In order to safeguard the people's communication rights, ensure the dignity of the country, and build consensus on investigating cases, the Lienchiang District Prosecutor's Office held the "Matsu Region National Security Work Platform Undersea Cable Protection Liaison Meeting" today (23rd) at this office, inviting relevant agencies and businesses such as the 11th Patrol Command of the Coast Guard Administration of the Maritime Affairs Council, the Maritime and Port Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation, the Lienchiang County Port Authority, and the Matsu Operations Office of Chunghwa Telecom to jointly discuss countermeasures. During the meeting, Chief Prosecutor Cai Jiecheng explained the constituent elements and investigation priorities of Article 72 of the Telecommunications Management Act, and exchanged views and reached consensus with various agencies and businesses on the timing of intelligence reporting, immediate evidence collection, seizure of suspicious ships, and detention of personnel, in order to identify the perpetrators of cable damage in the fastest way possible to ensure that the rights of the people and the dignity of the country are not affected.
Chief Prosecutor Lin Yanliang of our agency said that in the era of telecommunications and Internet, the stability of submarine cables is
Stability is very important to the work and life of the Mazu people. During the meeting, the Attorney General tried to call his family on his personal phone and the communication was normal. He thanked Chunghwa Telecom for activating microwave backup within 1 hour of the accident, so that Internet service was not affected. The Chief Prosecutor also emphasized that finding evidence to prove the truth is the fundamental solution to all problems. It is the common goal of the procuratorate and the Coast Guard to immediately ascertain in accordance with the law whether there is any human intervention in the submarine cable, and whether there is any intentional or negligent destruction by a passing ship. Rapid collection of key evidence and effective investigation and accountability are also the basis for asserting civil and criminal responsibility against the perpetrators. Our agency is prepared for the cases under our jurisdiction and will work closely with the Coast Guard, and with the cooperation of the Ministry of Transportation and the county government's navigation agency, we will establish a rapid response mechanism based on the consensus reached at the meeting. Once we receive information that the cables are suspected of being damaged, we can initiate the process to calm the hearts of people in Lienchiang and across the country.