Singer slams abolishing death penalty

Singer slams abolishing death penalty
China Post, Feb 2, 2010

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Ministry of Justice will continue the policy of gradually phasing out capital punishment despite the overwhelming popular opposition to the abolition of the death penalty in Taiwan, according to Minister of Justice, Wang Ching-feng.

Minister Wang announced the government policy at a meeting with reporters yesterday.

In an interview with local media, popular singer and entertainer, Bai Bing-bing said she will commit suicide if the majority back the policy during a national referendum.

Bai, who is currently taking law courses at the National Open University, even said she is willing to take up the job of executing convicted offenders sentenced to death.

She acknowledged that she was disappointed with some lawmakers' push for revising existing regulations to scrap capital punishment in Taiwan.

Bai said she has not ruled out the possibility of organizing a political “party of justice” to withstand the movement of abolishing capital punishment.

The singer is still grieving for her daughter who was kidnapped and murdered by outlaw Chen Ching-hsing, who also murdered other victims and held the family of a military attache from South Africa hostage in 1997.

Reflecting the views of many people in Taiwan, Bai said she is unwilling to continue paying tax to “feed the animals.”

Minister Wang said she can understand the feelings of families affected by violent crimes.

However, the Minister said that the policy of gradually phasing out capital punishment was already set by the MOJ before she assumed her current position.

Respecting the right for life and discarding the death penalty have become an international trend, Wang said.

Around the world, 132 nations have abolished the death penalty, whilst two-thirds of the countries and areas, including Hong Kong and South Korea,which still have the death penalty have not performed executions for many years.

Furthermore, among the 58 nations that maintain the death penalty, only 25 are still executing convicted prisoners.

The minister stressed that in Taiwan, public opinion on the matter remains divided.

MOJ data show that no prisoners have been executed in Taiwan since 2006, although 44 prisoners remain on death row for crimes including fatal arson attacks, abduction and murder, murdering police officers, and rape murders. The chance of these convicted criminals being executed is now slim.

Wang said that according to international data and research, there is no direct relationship between the scrapping of the death penalty and public security.

She denied media reports that the MOJ has set a date to totally abrogate capital punishment.

But to allay public opposition to abolishing capital punishment, Wang said the MOJ will continue cracking down on criminals and improving prison administration to edify and rehabilitate the convicts so that law-abiding people will feel secure, she said.

These measures should help “shorten the transition period toward abolishing” capital punishment, Wang said.

However, most people in Taiwan still claim to feel threatened by the nullification of the death penalty.

A public opinion survey conducted recently by the National Chung Cheng University indicated that 74 percent of Taiwanese people are against the abolition of capital punishment and over half of them think death-row inmates should be executed.

'Popular signer and entertainer, Bai Bing-bing, tells reporters she will commit suicide if the majority back the abolition of the death penalty during a national referendum. Bai said she has not ruled out the possibility of organizing a political “party of justice” to withstand the movement of abolishing capital punishment.' (Reproduced from TVBS)