The White Rose Social Welfare Association, which supports capital punishment, has announced it intends to hold a street rally on July 25.
The harrowing death of an eight-year-old girl who was attacked at an elementary school on Friday have led to renewed attention on the debate over capital punishment.
The association plans to call on members of the public to express their stance against any plans to put an end to the death penalty.
The association was launched in 2010 following a string of controversial court rulings on cases of child molestation.
White Rose Social Welfare Association president Eva Liang (梁毓芳) said that the group aims to see more than 10,000 people join the rally on Ketagalan Boulevard next month.
“Capital punishment is not a means of revenge,” Liang said.
“It is — among other things — a way to allow those who have admitted to their wrongdoings to face up to the crime they have committed,” Liang said.
In addition to expressing support for the death penalty, the group is calling for an “immediate execution” of criminals on death row.
“The government should obey the law and execute [criminals] in a timely manner, rather than finding excuses to avoid carrying out death sentences,” the group said in a statement.
“Abolishing the death penalty without any complementary measures would cause people to resort to a lynch-mob mentality,” the group said.
Politicians should make policies that would allow people to remain “free from fear” a priority, they said.
According to an opinion poll conducted by National Chung Cheng University last year, 47 percent of Taiwanese are “strongly against” ending capital punishment, while 38 percent are unfavorable toward the abolition of the death penalty, but are willing to consider it on the condition of other complementary reforms.
Less than 20 percent of Taiwanese support putting an end to capital punishment, the poll showed.
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