CHINA (March 15):

Wen says China will keep death penalty


Premier Wen Jiabao told reporters in Beijing Monday China would continue to use the death penalty as punishment in certain crimes.

Wen's remark was in response to a German correspondent, who asked during the news conference at the end of the 10-day National People's Congress session if executions would stop before China hosts the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Wen said measures were being taken to reform the country's judicial system, but he said abolishing the death penalty was not among the reforms.

"Half of the nations worldwide still employ the death penalty," he said.

However, Wen vowed to improve China's judicial mechanisms to ensure such sentences were "given carefully and fairly."China refuses to officially say how many people are executed per year, but most human rights groups estimate the number in the thousands.

(source: United Press international)

However, Wen vowed to improve China's judicial mechanisms to ensure such sentences were "given carefully and fairly."China refuses to officially say how many people are executed per year, but most human rights groups estimate the number in the thousands.

I saw on a documentary once, that when a person in China is sentenced to death, they put them in a "execution" van, and do it on the spot. :(
Is this true? I was horrified, no appeals, nothing, the person was sentenced to death and the sentence was carried out that day. This was a while ago, so I am hoping its not that way now. It is stated that it is carried out fairly, the death penalty isnt fair at all, and less fair if the sentence is still being carried out like this.

Kyla,
Amnesty International has gathered lots of information about the situation in China. You should be able to find it on their website.

I have heard about these "speedy" forms of justice as well. Some of the reports make for harrowing reading.:(

Rach x

I saw on a documentary once, that when a person in China is sentenced to death, they put them in a "execution" van, and do it on the spot. :(
Is this true? I was horrified, no appeals, nothing, the person was sentenced to death and the sentence was carried out that day. This was a while ago, so I am hoping its not that way now. It is stated that it is carried out fairly, the death penalty isnt fair at all, and less fair if the sentence is still being carried out like this.
Kyla, Strangely enough a new article about these vans has just been published. I have posted it here: http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1135 (http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113599)99 (http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113599)

It is absolutely mind boggling!

Rachel

The Chinese Government is extremely appalling. Their government is desperately in need of reform, to say the least.

Yes Kyla, it is true that they execute thousands of individuals a year, literally "execution style."

China is also a source, transit, and destination country for persons trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation.

The domestic trafficking of women and children for marriage and prostitution is a significant problem. 200, 000 - 300,000 children ranging from the age of 4 and up are trafficked for prostitution. Grown adults pay to have sexual intercourse with children as young as the age of 4 and the government does nothing about this!

It is completely devastating, to me at least, that we are going to host the 2008 Summer Olympics in such a destructive, uncivilized country.