Visiting lawmakers said yesterday they regretted the Taiwanese government’s decision to carry out executions for the first time in more than four years.
The Ministry of Justice executed four inmates on Friday, leaving 40 others on death row. Until Friday’s executions, the ministry had not approved an execution since December 2005.
“It is revolting that four people have been put to death by a civilized, wealthy country. This is barbaric,” Australian Greens leader and Senator Bob Brown said on the sidelines of the Second Congress of the Asia Pacific Greens Network (APGN), being held in Taipei.
“It dehumanizes the governments that not only allow it to happen, but do not legislate against it,” he said.
Australia abolished the death penalty in the 1960s.
Brown said crime rates do not increase, and very often fall, after the death penalty is abolished.
He urged Taiwan to end the death penalty through legislation.
He also called on Taiwan to do better than the US, China and Iran, countries that carry out what he called “murder with a judicial warrant.”
“We are all better off when we end this barbaric practice,” Brown said.
“I am very upset on that, very sad,” said Gerald Hafner, a German member of the European Parliament.
“Whatever they have done, I think the death penalty is something we shouldn’t do. We shouldn’t kill people for having killed others, for having done wrong … I was happy that Taiwan didn’t execute the death penalty ... for a period of time,” Hafner said.
Pan Han-shen (潘翰聲), the convener of Green Party Taiwan, which co-organized the congress, said that abolition of the death penalty is been one of the core values of the Global Green Network, a political alliance of Green Parties around the world.
“It was a shock to our international friends attending the congress because while they were promoting a resolution on the issue [at the event], the Taiwan government suddenly took such a big step backward,” he said.
The four executions prompted Green Party Taiwan to launch a petition at the event that urges the Taiwan government to not “continue to walk the wrong path.”
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
DEFENDING FREEDOM: Taiwanese love peace and helping others, and hope to be a positive force in the world, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim told ‘Weltspiegel’ Taiwan is making every effort to prevent war in the face of China’s hybrid coercion tactics and military threats, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD’s program Weltspiegel that aired on Monday. Taiwan is not seeking provocation or intending to disrupt international order, but “must possess the capacity for self-defense,” a news release issued by the Presidential Office yesterday quoted her as saying. Taiwan is closely watching not only the increasing scope and frequency of Chinese military exercises around the nation, but also Beijing’s hybrid and cognitive warfare tactics, including manipulating public opinion, fostering
RSS