Chi mulls pelties for disrespecting tiol anthem

Beijing, Oct 31: Chi’s top legislature on Tuesday submitted a draft amendment for the country’s crimil law to include pelties for disrespecting the tiol anthem.

The draft amendment was submitted for deliberation at the bi-monthly session of the tiol People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which started on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The tiol Anthem Law, passed at an NPC Standing Committee session in September, came into force in October to ensure appropriate use of the song. Those who maliciously modify the lyrics or play or sing it in a distorted or disrespectful way in public can be detained for up to 15 days and even be held crimilly liable.

“As the crimil law stipulates pelties for offences to tiol flag and tiol emblem, violations regarding tiol anthem should also be incorporated with the passing of the new law,” Wang Chaoying of the NPC Standing Committee’s Legislative Affairs Commission said.

According to the draft amendment, punishments for tiol flag and tiol emblem offences in public will also apply to acts of public disrespect to the tiol anthem.

Punishment ranges from removal of political rights and public surveillance to crimil detention and imprisonment of up to three years. Chi’s tiol anthem “March of the Volunteers” was penned by poet Tian Han and composed by Nie Er. It was chosen as the tiol anthem in 1949. (IANS)