Taiwan Church News 3215 Edition October 7 - October 13, 2013 Church Ministry News Reported by Lin Yi-ying October 10th is not only a country's birthday, but also a miserable day to execute Jiang Kuo-ching.In addition, it is the 11th World Day Against The Death Penalty. In order to engage a rational dialogue with Taiwan society, who overwhelmingly support the death penalty, 18 documentaries and movies will be introduced to the public in October. This film festival activity is supported by Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty(TAEDP), Taiwan Association for Human Rights, Amnesty International Taiwan, Judicial Reform Foundation and EU Economic and Trade Office etc. And these documentary films will be played for 35 sessions in the cities of Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaoshiung each, witha major topics as "Lost/Murdered Faces - The 4th Murder By Numbers Film Festival". At the very same date, October 10th, similar anti-death penalty film festival will be held in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, expecting this plea for human rights could be rationally discussed in the Asian societies. Ms. Lin Shin-yi, CEO of TAEDP, said that this film festival was roughly divided into 4 parts. Films in part 1 mainlyexpressed their concern over the victims abused by the death row convicts; films in part 2 discussed various problems after the death row convict was executed; films in part 3 talked about what if the real culprit showed up?; films in part 4 displayed the real stories of Asian death row convicts from Taiwan, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Ms. Lin remarked this kind of film festival had been held for every 3 years in the past. The scale of the 4th Murder By Numbers Film Festival isthe biggest ever, attending with so many films and simultaneously screen-played with many Asian cities. She admitted the pressure against this film festival from Taiwan society is still giant, as Taiwan's Ministry of Justice is likely to keep executing those death row convicts this year. But, Lin wished this film festival could build up a platform to dialogue with the public about the abolition of death penalty. Further, Lin wished one day Taiwan government could fulfill her solemn promise to international society, marching forward to abolish the death penalty! Translated by Peter Wolfe |