Sparing rebel George Speight's life was the only sane...

Sparing rebel George Speight's life was the only sane option - but much work remains for Fiji to repair the damage he left behind.
In most societies, there are few crimes deemed more serious than treason, especially when it comes in the form of an armed insurrection against a lawfully constituted government.
In seeking to bring about a change in Fiji's ruling order through violence and intimidation with their May 2000 coup, Speight and his rebels trashed Fiji's democracy. For this, they deserve severe punishment. But they do not deserve to be hanged.
Thankfully, Fiji's judicial and political institutions converged to commute Speight's sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment. It was the only sensible outcome. Capital punishment is an antiquated and barbaric concept, and bestowing martyrdom on Speight was the last thing the troubled island nation needed.