Taipei: President Lai Ching-te announced plans to reinstate the military trial system to address military-related criminal cases involving active-duty servicemen amidst increasing Chinese infiltration attempts. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Presidential Office, where Lai emphasized the need for military justices to be at the forefront to tackle cases of subversion, espionage, dereliction of duty, and insubordination.

According to Focus Taiwan, the government aims to amend the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces to make allegiance to the enemy by military personnel punishable. This move follows a high-level national security meeting convened by Lai to address growing Chinese efforts to infiltrate Taiwanese society. Data from the National Security Bureau revealed that 64 individuals in Taiwan were indicted for spying for China in 2024, a significant increase from 2021, with active-duty and retired servicemen constituting a large portion.

The military court system was abolished in 2013, following the death of army corporal Hung Chung-chiu, due to concerns over human rights violations. Lee Ming-ju of the Judicial Reform Foundation expressed worries about the potential revival of the same legal framework and urged the government to ensure transparency and proper handling of cases.

The discontinuation of the military court system was a response to the incident involving Hung, which sparked a civil movement for enhanced human rights and accountability within the armed forces. Both the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party have voiced concerns over the government's plans, citing a lack of public discussion.

The Ministry of National Defense intends to collaborate with judicial authorities, experts, and civil society groups before proposing draft amendments, aiming to guarantee fair trials and due process within the reinstated military trial system.