Taiwan: Human rights groups, EU condemn political use of capital punishment

Taipei, Aug. 31 (CNA) Human rights groups on Friday condemned the execution of a death row inmate, alleging it was timed to boost the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) chances in the nine-in-one local government elections on Nov. 24.

Lee Hung-chi (李宏基), who was sentenced to death in 2016 for stabbing to death his ex-wife and later killing his daughter as part of a murder-suicide by burning charcoal in his car in April 2014, was put to death at 3:37 p.m. Friday, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) confirmed.

Lee was the first death row inmate to be executed since the DPP assumed office on May 20, 2016, following the execution on May 10, 2016 of Cheng Chieh (鄭捷) who killed four people and injured 24 in a knife attack on a Taipei Metro train in May 2014.

Activists representing human rights groups scheduled a press conference at 6p.m. in front of the MOJ in protest, holding placards that read "killing for votes."

"Why did the DPP government chose to enforce an execution now, two or three months away from the elections?" asked Chiu E-ling (邱伊翎), secretary-general of Taiwan Association for Human Rights. "They were aiming at getting more votes."

The DPP flies in the face of covenants upheld by the United Nations and international human rights organizations that the issue of capital punishment should not be used for political purposes or electoral gain, Chiu said.

"How is the DPP different from the Kuomintang (KMT)," Chiu said. "Does the DPP truly believe in the universal value of abolishing the death penalty?"

During the previous KMT administration from 2008-2016, former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) broke the moratorium Taiwan observed from 2006-2009, carrying out 33 executions, several of which were criticized for being timed to gain political leverage.

The DPP has recently supported the abolition of the death penalty. Point 26 of the DPP Action Plan adopted in 1999 said the party would "respect life, prevent miscarriages of justice and search for ways to end the use of capital punishment."

However, in the previous DPP administration under former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) from 2000-2008, 32 death row inmates were executed before he introduced the moratorium in 2006.

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has avoided taking a position on the issue since she assumed office, except her remarks in July that the death penalty remains on the books and that the MOJ would decide under what circumstances an execution could be carried out.

During the presidential election campaign in 2015, Tsai said that abolition of the death penalty is contingent on whether the country has reached a consensus on the issue and alternative measures are in place.

Head of Covenants Watch Huang Song-lih (黃嵩立) told the press conference that the DPP administration "made an erroneous decision" to carry out the execution.

"President Tsai has repeatedly declared that human rights are the principle on which her governance is based," Huang said. "But the execution demonstrates that her administration has reneged on its promise to gradually move the country toward abolition."

In late July, soon after taking office, Justice Minister Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) said that the government's policy to gradually move toward abolition of the death penalty remains unchanged.

Source: focustaiwan.tw, Shih Hsiu-chuan, August 31, 2018

First execution under President Tsai Ing-wen a crushing setback to abolition hopes

Responding to the execution of a 39-year-old man in Taiwan today - the country's 1st execution since President Tsai Ing-wen came to office in 2016 - Amnesty International Taiwan's Acting Section Director, Annie Huang, said:

"It is deeply disappointing that Taiwan has decided to resume the implementation of a cruel punishment, especially after President Tsai Ing-wen had stated clearly that her government aims to abolish the death penalty.

"That pledge now rings hollow. Today's execution is a crushing setback to the abolitionist movement in Taiwan and an act that casts a shadow over Tsai's presidency.

"The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights and can never deliver justice or accountability. We once again call on the Taiwanese authorities to establish an official moratorium on executions as a 1st step towards abolishing the death penalty once and for all."

Lee Hung-chi, who was convicted of murder in 2014, was executed by firing squad on Friday afternoon.

He was initially sentenced to life in prison by the Kaohsiung District Court, but the Taiwan High Court later changed the punishment to a death sentence - a move approved by the country's Supreme Court in 2016.

The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Amnesty opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception - regardless of who is accused, the nature or circumstances of the crime, guilt or innocence or method of execution.

Source: Amnesty International, August 31, 2018

EU condemns Taiwan's use of death penalty after man’s execution for double murder

Bloc criticises island for 'cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent'

The European Union called on Taiwan to stop use of the death penalty after the self-ruled island executed an inmate who killed his ex-wife and 5-year-old daughter in 2014.

Lee Hung-chi was executed by firing squad on Friday despite calls from rights groups to abolish the death penalty.

In a statement released after the execution, the EU said it was "unequivocally opposed to the use of capital punishment".

"It is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity," the statement said.

It added that the EU "looks to the Taiwanese authorities to immediately reintroduce a moratorium on the death penalty".

Taiwan resumed capital punishment in 2010 after a five-year hiatus, with the death penalty reserved for the most serious crimes such as aggravated murder and kidnapping.

Lee stabbed his former spouse to death outside the kindergarten their 2 daughters attended and then took 1 of the girls to his car, where he tried to kill both her and himself by carbon monoxide poisoning.

He survived after they were rescued but the girl died 2 months later despite treatment.

"His actions were brutal and ruthless ... and inflicted irreparable harm to the victims' family," deputy justice minister Chen Ming-tang said.

Lee's execution is the 1st since a former college student was put to death in May 2016 for killing 4 people in a random stabbing spree on an underground train that shocked the generally peaceful island.

In 2012 the murder of a young boy in a playground reignited debate about the death penalty, after the suspect reportedly said he was anticipating free lodging in jail and would get a life sentence at most even if he were to kill 2 or 3 people.

Amnesty International Taiwan's acting section director Annie Huang said it was disappointing that Taiwan had decided to resume capital punishment.

"The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights and can never deliver justice or accountability," she said.

"We once again call on the Taiwanese authorities to establish an official moratorium on executions as a 1st step towards abolishing the death penalty once and for all."

Source: South China Morning Post, August 31, 2018

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
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