A similar round of amnesties that ended in 1975 freed more than 500 former Nationalist soldiers after
leading the fight against the Japanese
Beijing : China may grant a special amnesty to prisoners not seen as a threat to society, in a rare gesture by the Communist nation ahead of the 70th anniversary of the end of WW-II.
China has announced amnesties based on the Constitution on only seven occasions since its founding in 1949. Li Shishi, director of National People’s Congress (NPC), told a bimonthly session on Monday that in the spirit of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on September 3 four categories of prisoners, who are not deemed a threat to society may become eligible for the amnesty.
Li, however, made it clear that criminals who have been convicted of bribery or embezzlement, part of China’s unprecedented fight against corruption, will not be covered under the programme.
The four special cases are: criminals who fought in China’s war of resistance against the Japanese invasion from 1937 to 1945; criminals who participated in wars to safeguard national sovereignty and security of China; criminals who are 75 or above and those with physical disabilities; and those who committed crimes while under the age of 18 and received a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
Li said the idea of granting an amnesty to convicts should not create fear among general public. Felons convicted of violent crimes such as homicide, rape, terrorism or narcotics will not qualify.
Felons convicted of endangering national security, terrorism, organised gang crimes, or narcotics, and violent crimes such as homicide, rape are instantly disqualified. Only those who were sentenced before January 1, 2015 qualify in the case of recent convictions.
Granting amnesty at the occasion marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is ‘an innovative practice’ based on the constitution, Li said, stressing its ‘great political and legal significance’.
The measure – the first of its kind in four decades – comes as President Xi Jinping prepares to host a military parade through Beijing next month to mark Japan’s defeat. A similar round of amnesties that ended in 1975 freed more than 500 former Nationalist soldiers who after leading the fight against the Japanese, lost a four-year civil war to the Communists. PTI
