This evening, I saw Lin Hsin-yi, the Executive Director of the Alliance for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, once again blast the government. This time, the media focus was narrowed down to just five words: “Abominable Government.” If there were a vote for the top ten classic “brain-dead” dialogues of the younger generation, this phrase would surely hold a spot. In the past, whenever this was shouted, a flurry of echoers would jump out in support.
Since the election is still a while away, certain “dark and obscure forces” have temporarily vanished from Facebook and PTT. We hear fewer “news stories encountered in dreams” lately, but looking at the calendar, it’s about time for a new round of irresponsible smear-bombing to begin.
Below is an excerpt from the Central News Agency report: “Justice Ministry Executes Death Row Inmates; Abolition Alliance: Abominable Government”:
…News broke that the Ministry of Justice would execute six death row inmates tonight. Upon hearing the news, Lin Hsin-yi, Executive Director of the Abolition Alliance, slammed the “abominable government” on Facebook, gaining nearly 204 likes and 18 comments within an hour. It is understood that the Ministry of Justice will carry out executions in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung… This marks the second time Justice Minister Luo Ying-shay has authorized executions since April 29 last year. …The Abolition Alliance plans to gather at 7 PM in front of the Ministry of Justice to light candles in protest. Lin Hsin-yi… emphasized that whether one supports the death penalty or abolition, all citizens hope for government action. Using the death penalty at this moment to respond to public grievances and “using killing to solve problems” is, she said, “truly disappointing.”
How do you feel after reading this?
This time, Lin Hsin-yi miscalculated her hand (though in terms of creating buzz, she certainly saved a large corporate advertising budget). While there are still plenty of people online who struggle to admit the government has done something right, the spearhead this time isn’t pointed at the administration, but at the Abolition Alliance itself.
The Alliance should stop pushing the responsibility onto the public, saying, “This is all caused by your populism,” because this time, it was the Abolition Alliance that started the noise first.
If Lin Hsin-yi wants to claim the government executed these inmates to appease public anger, then the Abolition Alliance—which inflamed the issue in the first place—is the greatest promoter of these executions.
If there is “karmic weight” to be carried, it is the Abolition Alliance that must bear the heaviest burden.
Another myth I want to debunk is the idea that specific organizations ever stopped creating incidents during Ma Ying-jeou’s presidency. Therefore, Lin’s claim that this was a calculated “timing” to use “killing to solve problems” is invalid.
In my view, the crime of Gong Chong-an (the school throat-slitting case) was so heinous that it forced the current government to realize that its previous “lean towards abolition” regarding human rights was a mistake. Execution is the conclusion: “Abolition of the death penalty does not work in the Republic of China (R.O.C.).”
This is also the expectation of the law by the majority of virtuous citizens to protect their own safety; it lets us know that we are protected.
Furthermore, these death row inmates have been sentenced for years, or even decades. The fact that the government waited so long to execute them was already a form of special leniency toward them and a source of psychological pressure on the victims’ families. The government is merely satisfying the requirements of the law, the perpetrators’ own actions, and the long-held hopes of the victims’ families.
If a perpetrator expects to avoid the death penalty and receive a de facto life sentence, it shows they have no remorse. A truly remorseful person would want to accept their execution as soon as possible, rather than waiting endlessly in uncertainty.
Although I personally support the abolition of the death penalty (yes, you read that right—my ideal utopia is one where everyone is virtuous and crime doesn’t exist), I do not view the Ministry of Justice’s execution of these inmates as evil. It was the perpetrators’ own choice, and the government remains neutral in serving the laws established by the state.
Therefore, in my mind, the “anti-abolition” issue doesn’t even exist as a genuine debate; if it does, it’s usually a political maneuver. For example, some people just love taking to the streets.
However, I also urge everyone not to adopt a “predatory” mindset. Carrying out an execution is ultimately the most helpless choice in human nature; it is not something we should celebrate with joy.