2 New Bills In Assembly Seek Curbs On Abuses

Ruling and opposition camps hammered out two new bills on Tuesday to be submitted to the 218th extra session of the National Assembly.

After much debate, the government and ruling party put forth a bill that would found a Human Rights Committee independent of other government agencies.

The committee would look into cases of alleged brutality, violence and abuse of authority.

The ruling Millennium Democratic Party and the Justice Department dueled over whether to make the committee an independent agency and to let it investigate ongoing cases.The Justice Department argued against allowing the committee to look into ongoing cases and it wanted the committee to be overseen by another agency.

Meanwhile, the opposition Grand National Party drafted a bill barring political revenge. The bill stipulates setting up a neutral committee to look into political retaliation.

The bill defines political retaliation as criminal investigation, financial sanctions and tax audits ordered by an administration against opposing political parties. It also provides for punishing parties for supporting politicians from other camps and granting appointments based on regional ties.

by Kim Jung-wook