KMT lawmakers to seek referendum on caning for fraud, child abuse

Taipei, April 13 (CNA) Lawmakers from the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) on Monday said they will launch a campaign to hold a referendum proposing caning as a punishment for people convicted of "major crimes" such as large-scale fraud, child abuse and sexual assault.

At a press conference, seven KMT lawmakers led by Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) unveiled the "caning referendum" proposal, which they said had garnered support from all 52 members of the KMT legislative caucus.

Hung said the purpose of the referendum was to allow Taiwanese people to participate in the creation of major policies, and to gauge whether there is public support for more effective and proactive methods to deter and punish crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, and large-scale fraud.

Hung said it is important to hold a referendum and allow people to express their views before moving forward with legislation, particularly because the Cabinet has recently refused to sign and enforce several bills passed by the Legislature.

If the referendum is passed, Hung said, the KMT will quickly propose legislation to implement corporal punishment, and demand the Cabinet put forward its own proposal.

At the earliest, this could take place during the year's second legislative session from September to the end of December, he said.

From a political angle, holding such a referendum could also help the KMT turn out voters in Taiwan's Nov. 28 local elections.

Last year, the opposition-led Legislature passed an amendment that restores the practice of holding referendums on the same day as a national or local election if one occurs during the period in which the referendum must take place.

Background

Hung previously touted caning as a punishment for fraud in a Facebook post last October, which sparked widespread discussion and racked up over 100,000 likes.

The post highlighted plans by Singapore's government to expand the use of caning for scammers and scam mules, while lamenting Taiwan's failure to stamp out crimes such as fraud and drunk driving, even with steadily increasing penalties.

At the time, commentators pointed out that Taiwan could face international condemnation for such a move, and that Taiwan's government had signed onto the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits corporal punishment.

Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄), a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said the idea would be a "step backwards" for human rights in Taiwan.

Chuang said he favored other approaches to combat fraud, such as increasing criminal penalties or making it more difficult for scammers to be granted parole.