(1) Is he able to say in which countries and territories in and around the Pacific and Indian Oceans the death penalty can be imposed.

(2) Is he also able to say in which states and territories referred to in part (1) the death penalty is still carried out.

(1) The Australian Government is universally and consistently opposed to the use of capital punishment in any circumstances. Australia consistently raises its opposition to the use of the death penalty with all countries employing capital punishment. More than half the countries in the world have now abolished the death penalty either in law or practice. According to Amnesty International, there are still 90 countries in which the death penalty can be imposed. Those in the Asia-Pacific region in which the death penalty can be imposed are shown in the following table.

(2) Those countries in the Asia-Pacific region in which the death penalty was carried out during 1999 are shown in the following table in bold text. The table also shows countries in which people were under sentence of death during 1999 in underline.

COUNTRIES IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION IN WHICH

THE DEATH PENALTY CAN BE IMPOSED

OR IN WHICH EXECUTIONS WERE REPORTED IN 1999

Source: Amnesty International USA Annual Report 1999

Notes:

1. Amnesty says several executions were reported to have been carried out, but independent confirmation was unavailable because of government restrictions on access.