The government and ruling Millennium Democratic Party agreed Monday on provisions for an anti terrorism bill, which includes sentences of five years to life imprisonment and the death penalty for people engaged in biological or chemical attacks against society. The bill does, however, shorten the period of indictment for terrorist suspects to 30 days, the same period for general criminals, and limits the National Intelligence Service's (NIS) independent investigation rights, following allegations of human rights abuses.

According to the bill, those who organize terrorist cells can face imprisonment from ten years to life, or a death sentence (if convicted of murder); those involved in logistics up to seven years in prison; and members a minimum of two years incarceration.

Those who finance or harbor money for terrorists will be jailed for at least two years, while people filing false reports on terrorist activity or threatening others face up to two years in prison, or a fine of up to W5 million. Persons failing to report terrorists may be jailed for up to three years.

Anti terrorist police can run background checks on foreigners suspected of having relations with terrorists and the commissioner of the National Police Agency can request a deportation order from the Ministry of Justice for those suspected of having the potential of committing a terrorist act.

The government is expected to present the final version of the anti terrorism bill to the National Assembly after finalizing it at a meeting on November 27.

(Yoon Young-shin, ysyoon@chosun.com )