thshumanrightschileCP08

Matthew Tran Topic:Capital Punishment Country:Chile


 * __ I. __** __** BACKGROUND OF THE TOPIC: **__

Capital punishment, other wise known as the death penalty, has claimed many lives of criminals and the innocent. Capital punishment is the act of killing a person due to a crime. The crime depends on the country. Some crimes may include murder, stealing, homosexuality and more. Some of the capital punishments are electrocution, hanging, firing squad, lethal injections etc. Punishments known as cruel and unusual were hanging, drawing, and quartering, burning at stake, impalement and breaking wheel. Hanging, drawing, quartering is when the victim is dragged to the place of hanging, hanged until almost dead, the victim's organs are taken out and burned in front of him then the person is beheaded. Burning at stake is when "the executioner would arrange a pile of wood around the condemned's feet and calves, with supplementary small bundles of sticks and straw called // faggots // at strategic intervals up their body." Impalement is a form of torture and execution where the victim is pierced by a stake that can be through the sides, rectum or the mouth. Breaking wheel is when "the condemned were placed on a cart-wheel with their limbs stretched out along the spokes over two sturdy wooden beams. The wheel was made to slowly revolve. Through the openings between the spokes, the executioner hit the victim with an iron hammer that could easily break the victim's bones. This process was repeated several times per limb. Once his bones were broken, he was left on the wheel to die. It could take hours, even days, before shock and dehydration caused death." There have been many debates about capital punishment. The opposers think that it is barbaric and uncivilized and that innocent people may be killed. The supporters think that it lowers crime rate and it sets an example for all criminals.


 * __ II. __** **__ UN INVOLVEMENT: __**

The United Nations debate about capital punishment started in 1945. The United Nations has done much to eliminate capital punishment. In the attempt to eliminate it worldwide, the UN has used the Declaration of Human Rights. In the 3rd article it states that it gives "right to life, liberty and security of person." Since ratifying the document, 135 nations have signed it. However, 62 nations still retain the death penalty. The United Nations has past over 50 resolutions criticizing the use of capital punishment. The United Nations is doing everything in its limits to erase capital punishment. At the same time many NGO's are helping the United Nations in their attempt to eradicate capital punishment. The UN has also created the Convention of the Rights of the Child(UNCRC) which outlines the child's civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. The UNCRC forbids capital punishment towards children. Amnesty International reports that 193 countries are party to the convention, including all nations in the UN excluding the U.S. and Somolia. As much as capital punishment wants to erased, it faces much opposition. Even Secretary Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations says that it should be the country's or state's decision to have capital punishment or not. He states that “The issue of capital punishment is for each and every member State to decide.”


 * __ III. __** **__ COUNTRY POLICY AND INVOLVEMENT: __**

On 2001 May 30, capital punishment in Chile was abolished. Chile's congress passed a bill to abolish the death penalty in April. The president of Chile, President Ricardo Lagos, signed the measure into law on May 30th. In Chile, the use of capital punishment has been made into a 40 year imprisonment. The last execution held in Chile took place in 1985. Before capital punishment was abolished in Chile, the methods of death was the firing squad. It was used for "murder of a family member, kidnapping of children or violence against them, and kidnapping of adults that caused the death or murder of police agents."


 * __ IV. __** **__ SOLUTIONS: __**

Chile thinks that to make other countries make the change like the country of Chile did, a document must be proposed. Chile thinks that the document be called the DCR-Declaration of Criminal Rights. Like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it will explain all rights of criminals. It will describe can and cannot be done the the criminal. This document will be presented the United Nations. Also, the C.R.C-Criminal Rights Committee, will be created to support the support the United Nations. It will also campaign for criminal rights. This committee will meet every 4 months on the 1st saturday. The committee will meet in different places every time, mostly where capital punishment is needed to be abolished the most.


 * __ V. __** **__ BIBLIOGRAPHY: __**

http://tillermun.wikispaces.com/4+thailand

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruel_and_unusual_punishment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging,_drawing,_and_quartering

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_by_burning

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dfwfvj8r_2gtphjbrg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ban_Ki-moon[|http://www.religioustolerance.org/execut9.html] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_capital_punishment_by_nation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Child