Taiwan must not abolish its death penalty

Wang Ching-feng, a woman known for her active involvement in social and political activities has been named minister of justice. Wang has held a number of high government posts and is highly regarded for her ability and vision.

The justice minister-designate attracted more attention than most others included in Liu’s lineup of Cabinet members by voicing her opinion on the death penalty. In an interview she had with the Chinese-language Apple Daily newspaper after she was designated as justice minister of the Ma administration, Wang said she personally disapproves of the death penalty.

“Life should not be taken away (from a human being),” she said. “I respect life. The removal of one life cannot restore a lost life.”

Those remarks have triggered much discussion and criticism. One of her critics is Pai Ping-ping, a famed entertainer. Pai, who has been opposed to the abolition of the death penalty since her only child was kidnapped and murdered 11 years ago, urged the justice minister-designate to be prudent in what she says. The government is the last line of defense in the protection of the people’s interests, Pai said. If the death penalty is abolished thoughtlessly, society will pass its judgment on it, the popular singer added.

In April 1997, Pai’s 17-year-old daughter, Pai Hsiao-yen, was kidnapped on her way to school. Despite intensive efforts by the singer and police to find her, the girl was brutally murdered and her body dumped in a ditch. The savagery of the murder shocked Taiwan society.

The three suspects in the case managed to escape from custody and committed several more heinous criminal acts, including robberies, murders and rapes. One of the three kidnappers, Lin Chun-sheng, was shot and killed in a gun fight with the police. Later, Kao Tien-min killed himself when cornered by police trying to arrest him. The main suspect, Chen Chin-hsing, probably the single most notorious criminal in the history of Taiwan, broke into the residence of a South African diplomat in Taipei and held his family at gunpoint. He surrendered to the police in the end.

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