TAIWAN. COUNTRY TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY

September 7, 2005: Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian vowed to the abolish death penalty so that Taiwan could become a country founded on the basis of human rights. "Abolishing the death penalty has become a world trend. Almost every year there is one country abolishing the death penalty," Chen said while receiving a delegation from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
"Since I became president in 2000, Taiwan launched the campaign to abolish the death penalty by reducing the handing down and execution of capital punishment, and by making it harder for inmates to receive parole and forcing them to pay more compensation to victims," he said.
As a result, the number of executions in Taiwan had dropped from 32 in 1998 to 17 in 2000 and one in 2005. "My goal is to achieve zero executions within the shortest time and eventually abolish the death penalty," Chen said.
Public opinion polls had shown that 80 percent of Taiwanese opposed abolishing the death policy but 40 percent could accept it if Taiwan toughened jail terms for criminals and made it hard for them to receive parole. (Sources: Webindia123, 07/08/2005)