A law on the prevention and repression of terrorism took effect on Tuesday, the government of the Macao Special Administrative Region announced.

The 16-article law imposes prison sentences ranging between one and 20 years on "the terror-related crimes," according to the Government Gazette.

Anyone found guilty of heading a terror group faces a prison term ranging between 12 and 20 years and anyone found guilty of planning to set up a terror group one and eight years, said the gazette.

The law, approved by the Legislative Assembly in March, also covers crimes of terror financing, it added.

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2006)