[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

April 1



INDONESIA:

Execution of 3 Poso riot masterminds put off


The execution of 3 men sentenced to death for their roles in the Poso
(Central Sulawesi) riots, which was supposed to take place early Saturday,
has been put off for several days, police said.

Chief of the Central Sulawesi Police Brig. Gen. Oegroseno refused to give
the reasons on the cancellation only said that it was cancelled for
several days.

The 3, namely Fabianus Tibo (60), Dominggus da Silva (42) and Marinus Riwu
(48), were supposed to be executed early on Saturday at a spot on the
outskirts of Palu city .

Many reporters who knew about the plan had been waiting in front of the
Petobo Penitentiary since Friday night but nothing special happened until
Saturday morning.

"It (the execution) is not today," one of the jail officers said.

The 3 were sentenced to death by the Palu District Court on April 5 , 2001
for masterminding killing, arson and torturing sprees during riots in
Poso.

The sentence was reaffirmed by the Central Sulawesi High Court on May 17
in the same year.

A plea for a lighter sentence was rejected by the Supreme Court on October
11, 2001 and their request for a review of their sentence was also turned
down on March 31, 2004.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last November 10 also refused to give
clemency on them. The 3 asked for a clemency to the president in May 2005.

More than 1,000 people were killed in the sectarian conflicts in Poso that
occurred in the mid of 2000 to early 2001.

(source: Antara News)






TAIWAN:

Government to keep capital punishment


The government has no plans to abolish capital punishment but will further
step up measures to meet high public expectations for better public order,
Premier Su Tseng-chang said yesterday. Su made the remarks while answering
questions from opposition Taiwan Solidarity Union lawmaker Ho Ming-hao.

According to Ho, local entertainer Pai Ping-ping, whose young daughter was
kidnapped and murdered 9 years ago, wrote to the Presidential Office and
the Executive Yuan asking the government not to abolish the death penalty.

Although the government has long supported the idea of getting rid of the
death penalty, the premier said that the government will not abolish it in
the short term, as some 80 % of the people are opposed to such a move.

(source: Taiwan News)