This year as Mauritius is getting ready to celebrate its 40th Independence Day the leader of MSM is talking of bringing back capital punishment. He believes society in general is facing tremendous changes and that a all kinds of crimes are on the increase. This is affecting our civilized way of life. His only solution is bring back capital punishment to deal with those who commit serious crimes by way of dealing with these social degradations.

While many other countries are abolishing this heinous way of ending lives of criminals this leader is advocating restoration of capital punishment.“On le sait parfaitement : la peine de mort n'a pas de vertus dissuasives, le niveau de sécurité d'une société ne dépend pas de la sévérité de sa peine maximale pour un délit,” wrote Gilbert Ahnee(Le Mauricien,18/2/08).He added “Ce n'est pas, M. Jugnauth, en envoyant quelques-uns à l'échafaud que vous ferez valoir vos mérites pour la guérir de ses maux.”

This capital punishment talk from the MSM leader has begun to raise concern among right think people and bodies like the local Amnesty International. The Mauritian director of AI, Mr Lindley Courone,has written to Pravind Jugnauth about his concerns on this matter. “l'exécution des détenus, condamnés pour assassinat, n'a jamais eu un effet dissuasif sur la criminalité,” he said and expressed his astonishment to see modern leaders these days are willing to go back to “ l’ère préhistorique;” la barbarie n’engendre que la barbarie. »

Capital punishment is used in many countries around the world. According to Amnesty International figures as at May 2007, 68 countries and territories retain the death penalty, although many never actually use it. China executes the most people per year overall, with an estimated figure of 1,010 in 2006. Amnesty International also states that in 2006, Iran executed 177 people, Pakistan 82, Iraq and Sudan both at least 65 and that there were 53 executions in the USA.

Based on public reports available, Amnesty International estimated that at least 1,010 people were executed in China during the year [2006], although these figures are only the tip of the iceberg. Credible sources suggest that between 7,500 to 8,000 people were executed in 2006. The official statistics remain a state secret, making monitoring and analysis problematic. Amnesty International, May 2007.In March 2004 a delegate at the National People's Congress said that "nearly 10,000" people are executed per year in China. Amnesty International, 2006.There is now steadily increasing support for abolishing capital punishment.