Invitation Light up a Life – Praying for a Society Without Death Penalty

Invitation
Light up a Life – Praying for a Society Without Death Penalty

Four years ago, the Lin brothers from Kaohsiung slaughtered their neighbors leaving one man dead and the other severely injured. They were sentenced to death by the Supreme Court last year. Monday night (12/26), right after Christmas, news of the Lin brothers’ execution arrived, and their family did not receive any notice before the brothers were executed.

In 2001, Mr. Chen Ding Nan, the Minister of the Justice Department promised to abolish capital punishment during his term of office. In 2005, when the representatives from the International Federation for Human Rights came to Taiwan to research the death penalty cases, President Chen Shui Bian and the current Minister of the Justice Department, Shi Mao Lin had both agreed to remove capital punishment gradually. Yet, Minister Shi still consented to the Lin brothers’ execution. Three death row inmates were executed this year in Taiwan. We believe that before the death penalty is completely exterminated, the government should stop all forms of execution.

There are still more than 70 death row inmates in the queue awaiting their execution. We hope there will be no more regrets. We anticipate a civilized Taiwan without death penalty. At the coming of a new year, we would like to pray for all who are separated from those whom they love and for all victims of crime whose lives have been permanently damaged by the losses they have endured. We look forward to a society of humanity, a society that respects lives, a society without death penalty. If you have the same wishes, please join us.

Sponsor: Taiwan Alliance to End Death Penalty (Taiwan Association for Human Rights, The Judicial Reform Foundation, Taipei Bar Association, Chang Fo-chuan Center for the Study of Human Rights, John Paul II Institute for Research into Dialogue for Peace, PEACETIME Foundation of Taiwan)

Location: In front of National Taipei University of Education (across from the Department of Justice)

Time: Dec. 30 (Fri) 4:30 ~ 5:30 P.M.


Schedule:

4:30 – 4: 40 Host: Wu Hao-jen (President of Taiwan Association for Human Rights)

4:40 – 4:50 All participants put on black veils and light candles

4:50 – 5:10 Walk with candles around the Department of Justice

5:10 – 5:30 Poetry reading, “Memories of Death”, by Li Ming Yong
Speech by guest speakers

5:30 The End


Please contact Ann at 2363-9787 if you would like to participate. Thank you.