China may drop death penalty for economic crimes

[TwoSevensClash]

A draft amendment to the country's criminal code suggests that 13 "economy-related, non-violent offences" be dropped from the death penalty list.
China currently sentences to death people found guilty of 68 specified crimes.
China executes more people every year than any other country, and has drawn criticism for its record.
Amendments China's state news agency, Xinhua, said the amendment was submitted for a first reading to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.
In most cases, a draft law will be read two or three times before being voted for adoption, the agency said.


It quoted Li Shishi, director of Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee, as saying the country could cope with the effects of such an amendment.
"Considering China's current economic and social development reality, appropriately removing the death penalty from some economy-related non-violent offences will not negatively affect social stability nor public security," he said.




Now I'm not blood thirsty but in cases like the poison milk scandal were the business men new the milk was poisonous but did nothing about it warrants the death penalty in my opinion.

[Os Cangaceiros]

It quoted Li Shishi, director of Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee, as saying the country could cope with the effects of such an amendment.

Shocker. :rolleyes:

[Kiev Communard]

Personally I am in favour of abolition of all types of capital punishment in future, but I think that for some time after revolution a certain need would remain for the use of death penalty. And considering the terrible level of corruption and criminal misdemeanour on the part of the state officials in "People's" China, I think this decision represents one more step towards the establishment of complete impuntiy for the members of the ruling bureaucratic-capitalist class.

[Adi Shankara]

China is about to drop death penalty for economic crimes? awesome! lets just hope they stop killing prisoners for their organs now, jailing and executing protesters, stop torturing Tibetan monks and Lamas, and close the class division which is fast becoming one of the largest on earth!

[Demogorgon]

Personally I am in favour of abolition of all types of capital punishment in future, but I think that for some time after revolution a certain need would remain for the use of death penalty. And considering the terrible level of corruption and criminal misdemeanour on the part of the state officials in "People's" China, I think this decision represents one more step towards the establishment of complete impuntiy for the members of the ruling bureaucratic-capitalist class.
Doesn't it strike you that the enormous level of corruption despite the death penalty might mean that the possibility of execution does nothing to stop it and does not act as any kind of control on the ruling class?

I support this obviously because any move away from the death penalty is a step in the right direction, but it is a very small step indeed.

[leftace53]

China is about to drop death penalty for economic crimes? awesome! lets just hope they stop killing prisoners for their organs now, jailing and executing protesters, stop torturing Tibetan monks and Lamas, and close the class division which is fast becoming one of the largest on earth!
I can't believe I agree with Sankara.
While any step toward abolshing capital punishment is good, this is a pretty silly move, sort of like an appeasement saying "see we're not total reactionaries".