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China Daily / Reuters
Drug lord Naw Kham is taken from a Chinese jail to be executed on Friday.
BEIJING – A notorious gang leader and drug lord from Myanmar was among four foreigners executed in China Friday, marking the first time Beijing has extradited, tried and put to death foreign nationals.
Naw Kham and three accomplices from Thailand and Laos were given a lethal injection in Yunnan’s provincial capital, Kunming, late Friday afternoon.
The four were found guilty last year and sentenced Wednesday for the October 2011 hijacking of two cargo ships and the murder of 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River.
But Beijing’s decision to live broadcast the final moments of the men as they waited in their cells followed by their walk to waiting police cars to the execution facility has drawn criticism across China’s websphere.
The four were additionally found guilty of smuggling drugs, kidnapping and hijacking cargo ships in the “Golden Triangle,” a section of territory that overlaps parts of Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos that accounts for much of Asia’s opium and methamphetamines production.
Beijing contends that, while Naw Kham masterminded the hijacking of the two Chinese cargo ships, he also colluded with Thai soldiers who may have been responsible for the slaying of the sailors.
Thai authorities are investigating nine of their soldiers alleged to be involved in the incident.
The capture of Naw Kham – who was at the center of the region's bustling drug trade – was a coup for Chinese police and anti-drug ministries, which reportedly spent a year tracking the infamous smuggler.
The search was unprecedented as it marked the first time that Chinese forces were seen actively searching for foreign national criminal suspects outside of China’s borders.
Task force
The importance Beijing placed on the search was underscored by a report last month by Chinese state media that revealed a task force set up to capture Naw Kham had at one point considered a controversial plan to use an unmanned drone to bomb a suspected hideout of Naw Kham’s gang in northeastern Myanmar.
The scheme was scrapped after the order to capture Naw Kham alive and bring him to trial was reiterated from senior leaders.
Naw Kham’s capture and subsequent trial was given significant coverage in Chinese state media. In the run up to Friday’s execution, long reports detailing the gang’s crimes, celebrating the diligent work of China’s security forces and explaining the method of execution were repeatedly played on Chinese broadcaster CCTV.
CCTV also ran two hours of live coverage leading up to the executions, showing the men’s final moments as they were led from their prison cells to execution facility. Despite rampant rumors and speculation that the state broadcaster was planning on showing the execution live, it ended its live coverage after the men were driven away.
The magnitude of Naw Kham’s capture and execution was never underplayed, with one CCTV reporter noting that officials there were comparing Naw Kham’s case to the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.
The comparison carries an undeniable message from the country’s ruling Communist Party to its people: China can and will look out for its nationals both at home and abroad.
But many in China found the live broadcast of the men’s final moments in poor taste and an uncomfortable reminder of show executions from China’s turbulent period during the Cultural Revolution.
“Even though they are deserved to die, these criminals have dignity too,” wrote one user on China’s Twitter-like service, Weibo, “The Cultural Revolution is back.”
“China is a country without humanity,” lamented another.
“CCTV is as cruel as these criminals,” one user bluntly noted.
Mo Shaoping, a prominent criminal lawyer and advisor at the Central University of Finance and Economics Law School, argued that Beijing’s decision to broadcast the prisoners’ final moments was less about striking a nationalist chord and more about showing how the country has improved its handling of the death penalty – a sensitive topic for China’s leadership.
“China has made progress in how it deals with the death penalty,” Mo said. “showing everything live helps people see that prisoners are being treated humanely in their final moments.”
Indeed, much of the commentary on CCTV as cameras rolled on Naw Kham in his cell discussed how he had been given a full doctor’s inspection and that officers in the room had made small chat and offered cigarettes to the kingpin to help him relax.
They also noted that Naw had actually gained weight and looked healthier after months under Chinese supervision.
Mo also noted that the use of lethal injection mean that potential donor organs could not be harvested from the men, addressing another common criticism of China’s previous handling of state executions.
NBC News Le Li contributed to this report.
Leave a Comment:
China do not play ! the US is full of bull people die here everyday for nothing-HEY! I'M TRIPPING TODAY GUESS I'LL SHOOT SCHOOL KIDS. And the sad part to this is people will protest the death penalty in this case-UNTIL I'TS THEIR KIDS OR LOVE ONES BEING KILLED. Why should a cold blooded murder live-KILL'EM ALL!!!
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Way to go China!!! We could learn another lesson from your example. The first one should be how to handle the country's finances (Dont spend more then you take in).....something our politicians still dont grasp.
Sentenced Wednesday for a Oct. 2011 crime...dead today...take note USA...stop letting criminals live on death row for decades...
I'm sure he had a fair and just trial. I know how much we can trust our legal system.
Filming their final moments on earth? Great idea! Maybe the West can learn something from China after all.
You do the talk; you do the walk!
I wonder if anyone ever charged in China was ever found not guilty?
Way to go China!! Don't put up with that BS and execute them in a short period of time. Can we send you tens of thousand of death row inmates from our prisons? The USA doesn't have the balls to execute these dirtbags.
DadInAZ, Our problem here is our justice system is broke. Guys like that have fat bank accounts and that buys you freedom. It seems that China dosen't screw around. We could learn from this.
Thumbs up to China. I guess we here in the U.S are the only ones to tolerate Liberal limo lawyers that protect some like this here in the U.S. Oops sorry i forgot to say liberal limo lawyer with the trade mark pony tail and go- tee.
I'm a liberal and would like to kill you! Feel better?
Our first sociopath of the day folks. Oops sorry Liberal Sociopath.
wonderful way to deal with terrorists.......instant crushing under a heavy boot......no lengthy trials, no rubbish courtroom drama like OJ Simpsons, no wasting taxpayer dollars, guilty as charged on Monday, executed on Tuesday.
This is the way all caught drug smugglers and dealers should be disposed of. No mamby pamby, mealy mouthed and spineless treatment and drug dealing will stop, maybe not immediately but soon enough!!!
Go Chinese!!!
Proposed treatment: if you are caught with one or two doses of drugs, you are a user, obviously have too much time and money on your hands - six months hard labor first time, a year second time, death sentence third time. If you are caught with more than two doses, you are a peddler, automatic death penalty. I figure after a few thousand are taken out of the gene pool, it would start to clear up pretty good.
George, let's kill everyone! Much faster.
They do that in Singapore, first the beat you then the hang you...in public...sends a clear message.
Maybe we should put a few guillotines on the Capitol steps?
YA? they still wouldn't get it.....still be moving their mouths even after the blade fell.
Now the only thing that I would suggest, is make it pay-per-view, proceeds go to the crime victims. Man, would I pay to see that Muslime murderer, Major Hasan Nadal, fry or a firing squad! And a couple of the guys that shot up schools - they definitely should get either a rope or firing squad - none of this nice sleepy bye-bye injections.
1.3 billion people, yet China has one of the lowest repeat offender and prison population per capita in the world...and the lowest cost per inmate for incarceration. Food for thought. FYI most criminals die of lethal injection....of lead in CHINA....quick, clean,....dirt cheap....costs us in America $78,000.00 plus to euthanize each inmate
Start doing this here. Because of the liberal jack wagons in this country we just slap them on the butt and say hey don't do that. Lets kill these mudering scum bags on death row and stop babying them. They had no compassion for their victims. These people are the scum of the earth and don't disserve to live.
That would never happen here we love are drug lords we help them out by legalizing pot.
If you killed pot smokers half your family would be gone.
Hey Jim go play in some traffic. Or jump in front of a speeding train.
Imports from China are usually 'things'; but what we really need to import is their justice system.
Amy Bishop, remember her?
Nidal Malik Hasan, remember him?
Jeffrey Dahmer, remember him?
Charles Manson, we all remember this guy.
Amy Bishop was the professor who killed her kid brother when she was a child and years later at the University of Alabama in Huntsville she executed three people and wounded three others in a shooting on February 12, 2010 because she did not get a promotion. Jailed for life for her crimes...
Nidal Malik Hasan was the 39-year-old muslim, who was also also a U.S. Army Major serving as a psychiatrist at Fort Hood; he was the gunman who killed 13 people and wounded 29 others. Jailed for his crimes...
Jeffrey Dahmer was the cannibal serial killer and sex offender. Dahmer murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991, with the majority of the murders occurring between 1987 and 1991. His murders involved rape, dismemberment, necrophilia and cannibalism. Jailed for his crimes...
Charles Manson needs no further introduction. Jailed for his crimes...
In all cases these murderers were 100% guilty and their guilt was not based on circumstantial evidence, but they all got jail time at your expense. Dahmer got killed by his fellow inmates, but the others will enjoy the comforts of jail for decades after their conviction.
Lethal injection? What happened to blowing people's heads off? Or is this special treatment?
Now, if China would only stop stealing everything they can from us. Maybe a giant sink hole will open under China and suck them down to Hell where they can join all of those "criminals".
Although we hold life sacred and dear as we should, more if not all who push that poison should face the same fate here in the states. Why is it ok to kill our brothers/sisters, little ones, mom and dads etc. for profit, but we bleed our hearts for the scum that deal this crap. Die a miserable death like your junkie victims. Better yet, overdose them on the stuff they sell. I have no qualms about whether they suffer or not. Take a look @our country, our people, all who have been destroyed. What more do you need?
Well done China!
China may not be a free country as we are but they do have a better legal system in dealing with violent criminals.
They don't let them sit in resort type prisons or keep appealing their sentences for ever.
They deal with it quickly as we should.
No, Igor, it is NOT BETTER at all. Read some of the companion articles that were associated with this one. Ex-police officers, having lost their jobs, because they "petitioned" to have corruption in the police force cleaned up. 14 of them were harrassed, a couple were jailed for interrogation, and others escaped. PETITION to have corruption cleaned up? That means you sign your name to it & they (crooked cops & their superiors) know who you are. There is more. Read those articles.
Where is the whinning from Ammesty International? Get ready America; this is your future and China forecloses on our debt. Might be a good thing if they would simply execute all our politicans as they are useless scum anyway
I wish our leaders would see how China handles their problem. Learn from them.
Kudos china.I wish we had that kind of justice here.Crime protects the offender not the victim.I know of a person who killed someone and charged to plea down second degreee murder served time and in less than 5yrs later killed a victim with a car because of a fight charged with hit and run served little time and now is free.Wow, nothing like being able to murder 2 people in less than 5yrs.What a country we live in .Do damn well as you please with no regard for the law ,and no real consequences for your actions.I mean how many strikes do you get on killing someone in the 3 strikes rule?.I bet you that person when they have thier own child murdered will want justice.What a bunch of BS!
Yeah, lets televise all of our executions here in the USA so all the sickos who are into that kind of stuff can get there jollies off of watching another human being die, just try not to enjoy it too much or you might just want to get out there and get up close an personal with that kind of experience, than it will be you waiting for your televised injection. I question the mental state of anyone who wants this kind of thing to be televised here, anyone who would like to watch someone die.