On Sunday, August 29, China's legislature proposed to reduce the number of crimes punishable by execution. China is well known for and criticized for its 68 crimes punishable by death. The Chinese execute more people each year than the rest of the world combined. Among the 68 crimes resulting in execution, thirteen of them are nonviolent, economic crimes. These crimes are acts such as smuggling relics and endangered animals and faking VAT receipts, which are taxable invoices.
China now has an amendment to the capital punishment law pending to remove such minor economic crimes. Part of the amendment also states that criminals over the age of 75 will also be pardoned from execution. Experts believe that the attempt at reform will be less than is expected. "The crimes targeted in the revision are not being used very often," says Joshua Rosenzweig, senior research manager for a nonprofit human-rights group in San Fransico. Studies by the criminal law department at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences revealed that "one of the thirteen capital crimes called imparting criminal methods has not been used since 1997."
The crimes included in the amendment make up one or two percent of the total executions in China. Beijing still remains secretive about the actual number they execute, however, human-rights organizations estimate the number to be in the thousands. This amendment, some believe, is a way to soften Beijing's image. It is estimated that the amendment will take a while to be passed, but eventually will considering it has made it this far in the official process.
The steps to passing the amendment have just begun and despite China's execution history, it is important to know that the steps to reform are being taken. China has such a brutal history attached to its punishments but is trying to change its image by refining its punishment practices. This is significant in that it should help reduce crime and put China back in the good graces of other nations. China is heavily criticized for their brutal punishments and the opaqueness of their legal system, as well as the actual number of people they put to death yearly.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2014070,00.html
3 comments:
I never new that China was so strong hold on execution and capital punishment. I personally do believe in capital punishment if the crime is absolutely bad enough. However, it does seem that China proposes the death sentence way to many times and not for just "very serious" crimes.
Having a great number of executions each year does not necessarily mean that a country is brutal. China has the largest population in the world and it is the low threshold of the capital punishment law in China that makes China another world record.
Capital punishment is a issue of moral, political and social debate. Even if successfully justify the need for capital punishment, the economic and minor offences can never be justified. Morally speaking, China should have passed this law amendment much earlier. But politically and socially speaking, the Chinese government may be doing this at the right time.
I agree with both of you. I found this article interesting simply because I believe in capital punishment myself. Both of you make good points though. I am interested to see what comes from this law amendment in the future.
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