Taiwan: Families call on minister to kill convicts simultaneously

Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu on Friday refused to commit to a request by victims' families that the country's 40 death row inmates be executed simultaneously.

During a meeting in his office with a group of crime victims' families, the minister offered his sympathy and voiced his determination to handle the convicts according to law.

"Law is meant to bring justice to the world, and criminals should be punished according to law," he was quoted as saying. "Although the Ministry of Justice has set abolishment of the death penalty as its eventual goal, those who have already been sentenced to death should be executed as required by the law." The meeting was held behind closed doors, but Hsu Wen-bin, a national policy adviser to the president and a human rights lawyer, said afterward that many families of the victims tearfully pleaded with Tseng to have all death row inmates executed simultaneously. Tseng took office on March 22 to fill a post left by Wang Ching-feng, who resigned amid a public outcry after refusing to sign execution orders for death row inmates.

Tseng has told the Legislative Yuan that he personally favors the abolishment of death penalty, but that he will follow the law in dealing with death row inmates unless it is altered to end capital punishment.

The minister made headlines when he approved the execution of 4 death row inmates on April 30. A European Union foreign policy chief condemned the move the next day and asked Taiwan to declare a moratorium on the death penalty and to work to amend laws abolishing the practice.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel, June 4, 2010

Confirmed death sentences will be carried out: justice minister

Justice minister Tseng Yung-fu says all confirmed death sentences will be carried out.

"Although our policy works towards the ultimate abolition of the death penalty," Tseng said, "we have reiterated that there is no timetable for [the abolition]."

Tseng made the remarks Friday while meeting with families of murder victims.

Tseng said he was deeply saddened by the victims' tragic deaths. He said his ministry is open to different views on the death penalty. But he said his ministry's stance is to act by the law.

In late April, Taiwan executed four death row inmates. The executions were the nation's 1st since 2005. Taiwan still has 40 inmates on death row. Late last month the Constitutional Court rejected a petition to suspend executions.

Source: Radio Taiwan International, June 4, 2010