Lawmakers disagree over death penalty reductions

Some Chinese lawmakers on Friday opposed ending the death penalty for some of the nine crimes being discussed at the ongoing legislative session, while others insisted that overall punishment would not be lessened.

The death penalty for "arranging for or forcing another person to engage in prostitution" should remain, Long Guoying, a lawmaker from east China's Jiangxi Province, told a group discussion at the bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) standing committee. Suppose the victim dies, his or her right to life is infringed, said Long, and the death penalty is warranted in such cases.

"People talked about this issue on the Internet recently and many opposed the removal," she said.

The other crimes under consideration include various forms of smuggling, counterfeiting, some kinds of fraud, obstructing law enforcers and fabricating rumors during wartime. If the death penalty is ended for these crimes, the maximum sentence would be life imprisonment, according to the draft.

Other lawmakers including Admiral Chi Wanchun and Tang Shili from Guizhou disagreed on the removal of the death penalty for smuggling weapons, ammunition or nuclear materials and for wartime rumormongering.

"The death penalty should not be removed just because it is seldom used," said Chi, adding that capital punishment for the above crimes is still appropriate and great care should be taken in matters of state security and people's lives. The harm done to society should be evaluated before making decisions, he said.

However, Rita Fan Hsu Lai-Tai, from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said reducing incidences of the death penalty is an international trend that should be followed. In practice, "death penalty with a reprieve" is a common punishment in China, and such penalties are often reduced, she said, adding that serious criminals should serve life in prison without mitigation.

The draft amendment follows the decision last year by the Communist Party of China to gradually reduce the number of crimes subject to the death penalty, said Li Shishi, director of the legislative affairs commission of the NPC standing committee, and does not mean the overall punishment would be lessened.

Authorities will strengthen law enforcement and give severe punishment to those who deserve it, ensuring public security, Li said.