Want China Times
Date: 2015-06-01
By: CNA and Staff Reporter
Taiwan’s government is currently unable to abolish capital punishment because
Human rights activists protest the death penalty in front of the Ministry of Justice in Taipei, May 2010. (File photo/CNA)
society still needs time to reach a consensus on the issue, presidential spokesman Charles Chen cited President Ma Ying-jeou as saying Sunday.
Chen’s remark came after some interpreted a comment by Ma a day earlier as a sign that his administration might be considering abolishing the death penalty.
When asked by a reporter on his view of rising calls against the scrapping of the death penalty following the recent murder of an eight-year-old girl by an intruder at a Taipei school, Ma said opposing views have been heard for quite some time — some people believe that capital punishment does not provide a deterrent, while others believe that abolishing the punishment will encourage crime.
“I think we had better observe this for some more time,” Ma said.
On Sunday, Chen cited Ma as saying that the government is unable to scrap capital punishment at the the present time, but will continue to work toward reducing its use. [FULL STORY]
