A group of KMT lawmakers are aiming to push for a referendum on the
introduction of caning as punishment for serious crimes including sexual
assault, child abuse, and large-scale scamming.

Hong Mong Kai (洪孟楷) and others announced today that they aim to respond to
what he called the public's hopes for safety and protection.

Hong and several opposition lawmakers said the measure aims to deter those
serious crimes.

They stressed that the proposal follows the Referendum Act by putting a major
policy direction to a public vote, so as to establish a clear, legitimate,
and democratically grounded mandate from the people.

They also claimed that most respondents in polls support introducing caning
as a punishment for crimes such as sexual assault and child abuse.

They said that, in the process of the referendum, the public can debate
"whether the human rights of criminals are more important than the well-being
of the general public."