[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Sept. 13



CHINA:

Drug dealers face death penalty


Guangdong High People's Court recently ruled on a smuggling case involving
about 380 kilograms of heroin, according to the Guangzhou Huangpu Customs
Office yesterday.

The case is said to be the largest heroin smuggling case solved by customs
in China since 1949.

In the final judgment, the court sentenced three criminals to death.
Another 2 were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve and one given
life imprisonment.

The remaining 10 received prison sentences ranging from 2 to 15 years.

They were sentenced for crimes such as smuggling, selling, and producing
drugs. Other crimes included illegally possessing drugs, firearms and
ammunition.

The court also confiscated and ordered the disposal of 375.2 kilograms of
heroin and 1,948.4 kilograms of methylephedrine, which is the raw material
for the drug known as ice.

About 25 kilograms of other drugs were also seized as were the criminals'
illegal income of over 14 million yuan (US$1.73 million) and pistols,
bullets, and vehicles.

A Thai drug dealer was responsible for the sourcing of the heroin and
other drugs, while domestic smugglers were responsible for the
transportation of the drugs into China, storage and sales in the country
and moving the drug money out.

According to Liao Keqiang from the Guangzhou Huangpu Customs Office, He
Guoming and He Jinshui were domestic smugglers who began to conspire with
the Thai drug dealer in 2001. They smuggled 375 kilograms of heroin into
China between April and May 2002.

In August of that year, He Jinshui also smuggled 3 pistols and over 100
bullets into China.

In April 2005, He Guoming and Zeng Jianji, another dealer, smuggled about
2 tons of methylephedrine into the country, aiming to produce ice in
Shenzhen.

The Huangpu customs office spent many months tracing the smugglers and
finally cracked the case in May 2005.

Due to its geographical proximity to Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macao,
Guangdong Province has long been a hotbed for drug smugglers.

(source: China Daily)






INDONESIA:

Concern grows for 3 Catholics facing death penalty


Fears are growing over the fate of 3 Catholics from Poso in Sulawesi. Who
have been given death sentences.

Fabianus Tibo, Marinus Riwa and Dominggus da Silva wre accused of homicide
during inter-religious clashes in Poso 2000-2002.

The execution was originally set for 11 August. However it was postponed
after an intense campaign of awareness raising and prayer organised by the
local Catholic Church which brought responses from many politicians and
church leaders including an appeal from Pope Benedict XVI.

The official reason for the suspension of the execution was "more time was
needed to examine information and evidence".

Father Patrizius Pa, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies
told Fides: "The Church in Indonesia is doing all it can to save the lives
of the three men. We are close to them and we want Indonesia to abolish
the death penalty. Human life belongs to God the Creator it cannot be
taken by man. The civil authorities agree it is important to avoid making
a mistake with a hasty sentence. In many parts of the country Catholics
have organised special prayers and awareness building campaigns. We have
firm hope, the Lord will hear our prayer."

One of the many organisations in Indonesia and other countries involved in
trying to save the lives of the three men is the Rome based Sant Egidio
Community which has said it hopes evidence given by new witnesses will be
taken into account in view of fair judgement. Sant Egidio also hopes
Indonesia will reopen the debate on the compatibility of the death
sentence with the nation's guiding Pancasila principles which guarantee
the right of every person to respect for life and dignity and that a
moratoria on executions will be called to allow time for an in-depth
debate.

The local Catholic community has worked hard to increase awareness and
hopes the sentence will be commuted into a life sentence. Fr Jimmy
Tumbelaka, the chaplain who cares for the three men, says the people of
Indonesia are against the execution and realise that it would only provoke
more inter-religious clashes.

The Catholic Bishop of Manado, Bishop Joseph Suwatan, welcomed the news
that the execution had been suspended and called for an act of clemency -
as requested also by the Pope in his letter - expressing the hope that
Indonesia will abolish capital punishment.

Indonesian Catholics resident in Italy have formed their own Justice and
Peace Committee whose members are mainly men and women religious and
seminarians in Rome for theological studies and for whom the period spent
in Rome is an opportunity to share the needs of the Church in Indonesia
with the universal Church.

(source: Fides)