Should China Abolish its Capital Punishment?

Right after I'd completed my previous posting about David Cameron's visit to China, my attention was drawn towards this issue -- China's capital punishment.

I'd once studied quite an amount of China history as it is a compulsory subject back in my days in high school.  I know that China has had a long history in terms of capital punishment (ever since 2000 BC) and the most cruel methods were used back in the days. Believe it or not, one of the methods involved 'boiling' in which prisoners were boiled to death. (Ancient Chinese Execution Methods). However, these were all happened back in the barbarian days.

Although these cruel methods are not in used anymore, the fact that death penalty is still executed in China today has led to a great amount of disagreements and criticisms among other developed countries (US and UK) which had abolished death penalty. China's success as being the world's second-largest economy does not ease its pressure in this matter, in fact it had led China to greater pressures as the civilised world cannot see China as a civilised country if it doesn't change its behaviour. 

Crimes that leads to a capital punishment in China are murder, corruptions, offences dealing with drugs and etc. It is no doubt that these punishments were developed to aid crime rates. However, there are also comments say that 'Capital punishment not only does not prevent crime but also degrades those who carry it out and tarnishes states that practice it. China should be aware that its use of the death penalty is one of the most potent factors in sullying the country's image overseas, especially among young people.' (John Sexton's Why Death Sentences in China should abolished?) 

An example was raise in John's article- Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain. She was executed for murdering her lover. She was a victim of domestic violence as she was abused by her lover and as a result she gunned him down. Her earlier mistreatment in her lover's hands weighed more heavily in the public mind than the fact that she had coldly gunned him down. Her execution caused outrage public protests and demonstrations. 

Personally, I agree with John Sexton's point of view. Capital punishment is not a way to aid punishment. There are those who says that death penalty is too popular to be abolished, which i think it is awfully absurd, however it is undoubtedly approved by majorities in many country. There are also those who says that death penalty is needed in China because China is a big country and it has the most population in the world. Strict rule is needed to rule these population. 

However, it is important to take note that, when death penalty was abolished in UK, the crime rate did not increase. According to John Sexton, 

'When hanging was abolished in the UK, despite the dire predictions of conservatives, the sky did not fall, murder rates did not soar, and civilization did not collapse. Now, no country in the European Union uses the death penalty. The murder rate in the U.S., which has the death penalty, is three times that of the UK.'

In a way, it has proven that death penalty is not necessary and i believe, abolition would strengthen China's social standing in the world. It is of the leader's vision to steer it through. 

Siaw Chin Tee