The question of capital punishment is already a touchy
subject by itself. Setting aside this moral dilemma for a moment, the actions
recently taken by the Chinese government seem to take this issue to another
level. Recently, they televised four foreign criminals being led to their
deaths after being condemned for killing 13 sailors. To the government’s credit
they did not film the actual executions, or at least they did not publish them.
Still this seems to be a step back to days of public executions. That in itself
is worrying. Reportedly there was a general feeling of outrage throughout China
after the killing of the sailors, and the Chinese government responded by
showing its citizens all of the actions of the prisoners up until the lethal
injections. In terms of human rights, this seems appalling. I can’t imagine being
friends or family of the deceased and knowing that your loved one’s last,
humiliating, terror-filled moments are being broadcasted live on national
television. The thought is horrifying. Capital punishment is quite possibly a
human rights violation in and of itself, but at least let the condemned
prisoners die with dignity.
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