Wang, Jun: Civilized China needs to abolish the death penalty
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Date: 5/11/2015 11:49:43 PM
Sender: CDP
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Wang, Jun: Civilized China needs to abolish the death penalty
Chairman Wang Jun’s speech on U.S. Congress meeting in commemorating of the 21th anniversary of the Vietnam Human Rights Day
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
First, I want to send my congratulations to this meeting on behalf of China Democracy Party members.
while we are discussing China’s issue, we also pays our attention to the human rights situation in Vietnam. Today, the topic I am going to talk about is “Civilized China needs to abolish the death penalty”.
The establishment of "World Day against the Death Penalty" means the abolition of the death penalty. It is a sign of a civilized society. In order to be a civilized country, therefore China needs to consider the abolition of the death penalty.
Currently, there are more than one hundred countries in the world that abolished the death penalty. In 2013, there were only 22 countries still using the death penalty.
China is the country has the largest death penalty. On Wednesday, April 1, 2015, Amnesty International organization announced globally the 2014 death sentence and execution report. The report estimates that in 2014, the number of executions in China was more than the sum of all other countries in the whole world.
As early as 2001, a survey on whether or not to abolish the death penalty was conducted in the classroom of Renmin University of China Law School. It showed, that 87% of students did not agree with the abolition, and only 13% students agreed. This shows that there was still a considerable distance between China and civilization.
However, by the education of “ Commemorating World Day Against the Death Penalty”, the survey conducted in 2013 in the classroom of Renmin University of China Law School showed, 40% students did not agree with the abolition of death penalty, 16% students agreed carrying the abolition right now, 44% students were
in favor of a gradual approach by abolishing the death penalty within two decades.
Thus, the so-called public opinion, is not static, but is enlightenment.
Today, China should seriously consider how to abolish the death penalty.
First, the death penalty does not comply with the development trend of human civilization and social justice. If the attitude towards animals may reflect the degree of civilization of human society, then the attitude towards offender can reflect the degree of civilization of criminal justice. Civilization means treating people with manners, and the bottom line is treating people as human beings. The line of civilization is not how to treat good people, but how to treat bad people. In order to let China’s criminal justice move towards civilization, not only torture should be stopped, but also abolishing the death penalty.
Secondly, the abolition of the death penalty can change people’s tendency towards violence, and build a harmonious society.
After experiencing the dictatorship of the Communist Party, and under the competitive social environment associated with the rapid economic development, people in mainland China has increasingly violent behavior, and a small dispute can cause a big fight. In fact, the death penalty is the greatest violence. The abolition of death penalty can help change people’s mindset, facing conflicts and disputes in a more peaceful way. Again, we should not be superstitious and believe the power of death penalty.
Indeed, it is very hard for China to abolish the death penalty immediately. However, we should carefully move forward, and this can be divided into three steps.
First, the judiciary system release the number of execution to the public regularly.
China has long considered the death penalty figure as a state secret, which is not justified. Why do they need to deceive the public since the death penalty is based on the law, rather than secretly killing innocent people? We must abandon the old concept of closed justice, sand accept the modern judicial guideline with judicial transparency and openness. In fact, judiciary has made progress in this area, the court’s judgment documents have been disclosed online. Publishing the death figure, no matter about the number, will not cause chaos.
Second, gradually reducing the number of executions to zero in ten years.
In order to do it, we must first improve the proof standard in death penalty cases. Only irrefutable and absolute evidence can be used for conviction and sentencing. Secondly, we need to gradually replace the death sentence (immediate execution) with a reprieve, using the reprieve as conventional, and the death sentence as exception.
Third, using another decade to let Chinese people adapt to the criminal justice without death penalty, and until the eventual abolition of the death penalty in law.
Finally, we sincerely hope that all the countries in the world can put human rights in the first place, moving towards civilization.
Thanks.
President of China Democracy Party
President Wang Jun
China Democratic Party chairman
"China Democracy Journal"
May 11, 2015
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