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BBC.co.uk
Ding Yu, the host of China's "Interviews Before Execution" TV show is seen conducting an interview with a convict on death row in a new BBC documentary.
BEIJING – "I went to see your brother and sisters. They all know that you are leaving this world. But, sorry, they didn’t want to see you."
"I don’t want to see them either. Let me die," the man said, wiping his teary eyes. Two policemen stood behind him while a microphone was pointed at him.
"Is there anything you want me to tell your brother and sisters?"
"No. I did something wrong. I killed my mother. "
This exchange was a conversation between TV hostess Ding Yu and Bao Rongting, a convicted murderer, just a few hours before he was executed on Nov. 20, 2008. It was broadcast on "Interviews Before Execution," a weekly TV program, that aired on the Legal Channel in China’s central-eastern Henan Province for over five years.
Starting in late 2006, the hour-long show attracted millions of viewers and ranked among the top-ten TV programs in the province. Every Saturday night, almost half of Henan’s 94 million residents tuned in to watch the show, which was not available to viewers outside the province.
The show has now gained international attention since the BBC aired a documentary, "The Execution Factor," on Monday. A Chinese production company, LIC, worked with the BBC and PBS International, which will soon launch its own documentary on the show and its host, Ding.
Last words
Ding interviewed 226 prisoners on death row. Most of the prisoners were executed afterwards, but some received a death penalty "pardon" with a few years of reprieve, which usually means a life sentence in China.
A former law student, Ding’s journalistic style is similar to many female Chinese primetime news anchors: She has short hair, a patient-tone with her interviewees, is well-dressed – but not ostentatious – and her questioning style is straightforward, not dramatic
She interviewed a husband who killed his ex-wife because he "was still in love with her," a teenage girl who ruthlessly strangled her best friend over a trivial quarrel, and a wife who burned her husband to death after suffering years of domestic abuse.
Ding was particularly blunt with one unrepentant interviewee, saying: "I’m glad you got caught. You are a scumbag." One episode featured a man yelping, "I’m sorry," and kneeling down on the ground hours before his execution. In another, right before his execution a convict asked her: "Can I shake hands with you?"
The producers say the aim of the show was to act as a deterrent to other would-be criminals. And while there are up to 55 crimes in China that carry a potential death penalty sentence, the show focused exclusively on cases of violent murder. The show also got Henan province’s High Court approval for each case that was featured.
"Many people say I’m an angel and devil. I never thought myself as an angel, because it’s work that puts me into contact with these people. I see myself more as a witness," Ding told the BBC in their 50-minute-long documentary.
While 58 countries in the world impose the death penalty, China is believed to have the highest number of executions annually. The exact number is considered to be a "state secret," but the government argues it’s dropped steadily since early 2007 when the Supreme Court took back the right to have the final say on all death verdicts from local courts.
A 2011 report from Amnesty International indicates China executed thousands of people in 2010.
While it’s hard to determine the exact number, Ding’s show does offer some indication of how big they are, according to He Weifang, a law professor at Peking University. "Ding Yu interviewed 226 prisoners sentenced to death in five years. My guess is all these cases were tried in Henan Province and they only represent part of the whole situation. You can imagine how big the number is nationwide,” He commented on his blog.
Many scholars and lawyers have argued for the abolishment of the death penalty, but in a country with rampant corruption (which is also a capital crime over a certain financial amount), there seems to be little real movement to outlaw it.
Backlash
With all the international attention on the show, there have been concerns about whether or not it would continue to air.
"We were very worried about the consequences after the documentary aired. Some media have distorted our program," Shirley Cheng, a producer from the Chinese production company LIC, told NBC News by phone. "We didn’t do it to discuss the death the penalty. We just wanted to record the process."
A BBC report on Monday claimed the show was taken off the air by Henan TV last Friday. When NBC News reached Henan Legal Channel and asked about it, we were told that was not the case.
The temporary "disappearance" of the show is apparently only making room for a new show, and "Interview before Execution" will come back on air in about six weeks.
However, on the channel’s official website, no links to Ding Yu’s program can be found, while information about other shows is available.
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And all over this country TV news anchors are drooling and saying "How do I get this gig?"
You are probably right, we tend in our modern society to commoditize everything why stop at the death of the victim?
However, I do think we should do a interviews with deathrow inmates before the execution. Not like some reality TV show but, more as a tool to find out whats in these peoples heads in their own words, and not just rely on a clinical report by some psychologist.
Maybe we could get a better handle on why some people kill.
What does Rush Limbaugh have to say about all of this?
Rush will call the reporter a slut and demand a sex tape.
Coming to the USA soon!
I do not know about anyone else, but I think the show would be a hit here also. First off, I really doubt most people understand how a large amount of people on death row think much less understand the crime that put them there. Second, what is wrong with giving a person time to talk to world/country prior to death. I think they should have at least some time to give their point of view on anything. Third, is it any different than those programs that take people who are young and on the verge of going to jail full time as an adult into a prison to meet real people who try to detour them? Last, it might keep someone from going down the wrong path. Is it really immorale or am I just cold hearted. Not so sure on this one.
It's already here...
America has '1,000 Ways To Die'
China has '1,000 Weis To Die'
If the USA had executions easily like in China, our crime would go down. Instead, criminals mostly get probation and once they are out, they commit more crimes against society.
A program like this in the U.S would draw every nut in the country to try for their "15 minutes of fame."
The article reads "a wife who burned her husband to death after suffering years of domestic abuse." This lady put to execution for killing her abusive husband. Am I the only one who saw something wrong here? But, I guess its China. Not that I am saying its much better here.
@JOE
I disagree, Texas is known for its mass executions, but crime rate is not that different compared to the other states. Executions puts a strain to the families of the criminal that often cause members of their family to perform violent crimes because they loose hope in society. As you know there are multiple cases where the convicted serving life sentences were released due to DNA evidence, so innocent people could get killed by the jury of their "peers" if there too many execution in the U.S.A.
That and I also believe that U.S.A. should be more tolerant of all things, even criminals, compared to communist China.
Texas had less than 20 excecutions in 2011. As a country we had 46 in 2010 and 43 in 2011. This is not a high enough percentage of convicted murderers to make people think otherwise about doing it. It needs to be closer to 50% to 75% of convicted murderers. Those that spend life behind bars should be the exception not the rule. Prisons are supposed to rehabilitate, if you are not going to get out within your life what good is being rehabilitated
The actual state governments could start a show like this and make some money on the side to pay for part of our legal system. I think after the interview though they should broadcast the execution as well. Now we are talking deterant
I hope it will come to the USA soon, then there maybe will be quicker executions and not have the criminals milk the justice system for years and years!
@Phenomenal112 Where do you get this stuff, I would like to see the fact sheet " Family members of executed persons turn to violence themselves" where does this come from? maybe its just a screwed up family! if we as a society prove "beyond a doubt" that the suspect did in fact commit a murder then we owe that person nothing short of a swift execution. as for what they do in China that's for China to decide, whether or not the executing a murderer is a effective deterrent does not matter, we just need to be rid of the POS. We need to stop wasting resources on a lost cause(Life in prison), we should also publicise it as much as possible. and to hell with this humane lethal injection BS just take them out into shark infested waters and toss them over. that way they have a fighting chance. I know this would cost the legal system billions of dollars in income for rich lawyers and Judges but that would be savings for the tax payer. it should be you get a trial, you get sentenced, you have 30 days to appeal, and then if not successful end of story.
Sorry D Buck, but the information I wrote about comes from 5 books that I read in ccollege a year ago in my criminology major, if you want I could go back and find the books and write a bibliography for you, they have the statistics, and exactly how much it costs for the up keep of live in prison vs. executions. According to them it actually costs more to have executions. Something like 40,000 per prisoner in life in prison, but apparently it costs higher to have them execuated. There were also statistics, on younger siblings commiting violent crimes after the death of their older sibling was executed. If you still do not believe me that's your choice.
P.S. China can do whatever it likes with its citizens, I just want higher standards for our democratic nation.
Thanks Phenomenal for your post. It points to the importance of documenting one's assertions. If you can't or won't do that, then all you have are opinions and although they may be important, they don't prove much.
Phenominal,
Maybe we need to change the way we execute then to make it cheaper. Court determines death penalty, next morning the person going on death row gets his interview on national TV, noon the person is dangling from a brand new piece of hemp rope. I bet the TV show would generate enough to not only pay the interviewer, but buy the rope, pay the public defender (if needed), pay the judge, pay the executioner, pay for a pine box and a cemetary plot! Probably end up as a profit to the tax payer in the end. We could even let companies pay to put their banner at the top of the gallows!
OK, the cost of an execution is high in the US, I understand. However, realize that in China an executed prisoner's family is sent a bill for the cost of the bullet to the back of the head. That's efficiency.
While I don't trust China's judicial system, there's no questioning its efficiency when it comes to violent crime. There's nothing wrong with interviewing death row prisoners, simply because they should be given the chance to express their final thoughts.
Wow, they harvest and burn incredible amounts of fossil fuel, execute more people, have an enormous wealth disparity and think everything they do is correct despite any evidence to the contrary.
Texas, ain't it Grand???
The average American harvest and burns way more fossil fuel. Lets not forget China has 4x the population of the US and they have only recently surpassed the US. So America can do this but the average Chinese consuming about a 1/4 of the average american's fossil fuel consumption is wrong? They execute criminals but USA invades and kills civilians of foreign countries way more than China's execution of CRIMINALS. Enormous wealth disparity? So this is not a problem in US? Thinking everything they do is correct sounds familiar doesn't it?
@WilliamOfRites, if you don't like Texas, please continue to show us your backside and keep on walking..
Senator Craig, is that you???
GAaaAR, was your funny bone removed surgically or by accident??
Texas is also attracting a lot of coroprate enterprise from liberal crapholes like California. Good for them!
Yeah, funny how a screw the worker attitude can draw big employers.
Notice that Arizona companies aren't moving to Texaco.
Texas is a grand place to live. We supply fossil fuels to other parts of the country. Wealth disparity is all across the country so Texas does not stand out there. I don't particularly care for anyone that tells me how to live my life and try to restrict my rights for free speech or the right to carry a gun. I don't mind people driving gas guzzlers if they can afford it as long as they are maintained and smog tested. I like being able to do what I want with my land with minimal restrictions or regulations. I love the open country. The only complaint I have with Texas is the lack planning for growth. The government should have created canals or waterways from the North East to the South West which would ease flooding and provide water for farmers and growth. I also like the right to work laws and lack of so many unions. In my honest opinion.
So people complain about China's censorship or secretive ways. But yet anything that the country reveals is usually heavily covered by western media and distorted to portray something negative of the Chinese. Can you blame them? If you don't believe me, just read any China related article on msnbc.com. It serves as a medium for jealousy and hate but also serves to reassure Americans that western ideals are just better than everybody elses. Yet this is a culture that is very different from ours and have survived for thousands of years of prosperity and with more success than western cultures throughout the history of humanity.
Why does this article seem to portray a negative light to the country of China but yet America can get away with all types of crazy reality shows like Jersey Shore or anything with Kim Kardashian.
So there you have it China has censorship, but America has extremely biased news reporting to fool the masses. One country lacks human rights but another country flat out invades foreign countries and impose their own ideals and laws over them. So whose the evil empire?
Don't look at this as a patriotic American, but look at it objectively and completely unbiased. Think about it.
Somehow, I'd have to guess you are Chinese, GAaaAR.
Every human is a product of their culture, wherever they hail from. Bias will be found in everyone, everywhere. American news reporting may indeed contain bias, but it is a bias that arises naturally out of our culture, expressed by free people, NOT designed to fool anyone, but to sell media. People like to buy the truth, as they know it. American reporting is much more diverse and rich in perspectives and opinions than you will find in China. The bias you find here is the bias you look for. Here, you are free to express your dissent, as you have here. In China, I could not. THAT is an extremely important distinction.
Yes, China has honored traditions and survived for thousands of years. And there is much to respect there. But the lack of freedom is not among those things.
I disagree Gary and I'm American. Its like what came first the chicken or the egg? Is media bias a product of what naturally arises from American culture or did media bias help form the opinions of American Culture? Honestly, China has come a long way from their cultural revolution and has lifted 500 million people (more than the entire US population) out of poverty with a lower unemployment rate than the US but yet it is met with increasing hate filled articles from the west. Do you honestly believe this is the product of the collective American conscious to hate on a country's success and ideals and not a product of any political agendas to protect American hegemony? So if you spoke to someone in 2000, Americans already knew that if China kept growing stronger, we're going to hate them more and want to read more negative articles about them?
Is this also the reason why Yemen protest (Pro-American) was covered way less than the protest of Egypt? Did the American conscious make a collective decision to favor reading these type of articles about one country over another because if I ask someone on the street they will say o yea I want to read all about Egypt's protest but Yemen is our friend I want to not read anything bad about them? Where is the issue on freedom in Yemen's case? Isn't that what we stand for?
The public mind can easily be manipulated. You see that everyday, if the media hates on a individual celebrity, soon Americans will start hating on that celebrity. Don't be so naive on believing that the media operates solely on what Americans want to read. If a article title the words 'Death' and 'Controversy' in it and put under a column named "behind the wall" it is already negative and people will already start consuming its content because who can ignore something titled death and controvery?
IN the USA, i can stand at the corner and scream "Obama is an idiot".....Can i stand at the corner in China and scream "The Communiist Party is stupid"? Have you been to China my friend? 100 families sharing couple public bathrooms in the Hutong in Bejeing is hardlly "500 million people lift out of poverty". If that scenerio is the representation of "500 million people lift out of poverty", i can't imagine what your definition of poverty is........must be hella scary.
The media writes what Americans want to hear. The major media outlets are driven by profit and the buildup of "goodwill" towards their corporate names.
If they write articles that support China, readers will boycott and companies like MSNBC will go bankrupt.
I'm sure most journalists and writers started off with good intentions and a big heart while in college but after they start their jobs they find out capitalism restricts corporations just as tightly as any communist government.
Yes we do have a lot of freedoms so if you search hard enough you can find some treasure troves of good and insightful news. Unfortunately, most of that is usually buried under a mountain of stupid comments and poorly written news.
I enjoy reading these user comments more than the articles themselves most of the time.
China, the land mass, and China, the indigenous people, have been there for thousands of years of written history, but not China, the political unit.
IN USA, there are a lot of censorship. Is there a media coverage of what the Isrealis settlers in the West Bank are doing to the Palestinians. The burning of their Mosque? The uprooting of their crops so they would starve? the demolition of their Homes? None !! Because the US media is controlled by Israelis!! They will only show what is approved by the Israeli government. You critizise an American Israeli, you get fired. Just look at what happen to Rich Sanchez of CNN. Nobody mention his name whether from the so called Liberal Media or Conservative Media. Both are controlled by Israelis.
One of the key differences between us and the Chinese government is our freedom of speech. We can say what we want, when we want. But, do that in China, you will be placed in prison and have your organs harvested. Regarding media, never trust the media all the way, it only tells one side of the story.
john-2998135, there are so many delusions in your statement, there is no where to begin.
I don't think there is any doubt this type of show would act as a deterrent. I don't think it's possible to measure the effectiveness but it seems obvious to me.
Is execution ugly, yes, do we need it, yes. Should it be public, yes. It's the only way for it to be truly effective as a deterrent.
Perhaps a show like this would eliminate the need to publicize the actual event.
I disagree, we have a similar show in the U.S. Its called "COPS" where these cops tend to patronize and arrest mostly Blacks, Hispanics, and White trash who are mostly in the drug business. I believe it does not serve as a deterrent, but, serves as more of a dumb entertainment. However, this Chinese show, I am not a fan of because it seems to me like this show is about patronizing the prisoners on death row and in that sense it not too far from our COPS. Instead of trying to solve the issues that cause people to commit crimes these shows highlight the criminal instead.
The next logical step will be to televise the execution. Sweeps week is bound to be a real b*tch.
It could discourage Chinese from a journalism career: "Wang, we need someone to fill the six o'clock slot. Our regularly scheduled guy couldn't make it."
.
Cheep , cheep , low entertainment ....
Communism at its finest ....
Yep because Jersey Shore is so much better.. I actually support this and wonder how many people stop short of murder due to this tv show..
I support neither, in the 21st century, we are at the lowest point of television entertainment. It comes down to watching idiots fight over dumbness, or watching people accused of crimes be put to death. Sick either way.
'Survivor - Death Row' - I like it. Gives new meaning to 'Redemption Island'
How about we dump a bunch of convicts on death row in an island, and the last one standing gets freedom. How low will we sink...
William of Rites
I don't think GAaaAR got what ya said!!
I gave you a 1^ for being right but you failed at where to make the comment LOL! (the little REPLY button does wonders for conveying your thoughts about anothers comment)
I want to be interviewed before I kill myself.
I wonder why they would agree to this, what do they get out of this? Money?
Maybe they get some anesthesia before the lead to the head.
Howza bout "Interview After Execution," with Yu Ring-a-ding Ding!
The only problem I see here is an hour after the interview is over you want more!
Many Hung Hi.
While 58 countries in the world impose the death penalty, China is believed to have the highest number of executions annually.
Well yeah, they have the most people in a country in the world...
Yet, somehow, we have the highest crime rate in the world according to a DOJ 2010 report.
Hasen't Dr. Phill already done this?
Lets send all the Bankers, Hedge fund managers and other criminals who gave us this Republican Recession to China so they can ummm give interviews. It would be great entertainment:
China Lady: Why you try to destroy America?
Banker: I did nothing illegal and admit no wrong doing.
China Lady: Ah so sorry then but we must execute you.
Banker: What? Wait a minute I thought I was here to get a bonus for outsourcing my banks call center.
China Lady: Ah so we give you bonus and bullet is free.
Bernie Madov should be in this show.
Many people voiced that we and China are socially, politically, economicall and in many other aspects different. Why the hack MSNBC put what is in Chinese show as our news? We are different and let's keep that way.
They put it so we know what happens in China.
Crude and tasteless....
..."Ding (Bat)" Yu.....and....Bao Rongting (to be doing to your mother!).............
............ and I though American Reality TV was F'd up!
In America, when you found guilty, you die 20 years later. In Vietnam, and China you have 3 days then be excecuted.
In reality, some people don't get executed. They come out after so many years. I know one guy came out after 7 years, and he killed his ex-girlfriend. Go figure. It was sad, I knew the girl.
A truly tasteless idea! It should never be allowed in this country!
Jerry Springers next gig
If anything, these sorts of interviews should just be a knowledge base for behavior, used internally for preventing acts of craziness. But then again everyone loves a spoonfull of drama from the medes. and Tom, please pipe down. We already have our own sick twisted shows, To Catch a Predator for one..
Beats watching Kim and Khloe!