# Public executions in China **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 29, 2000, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961 "2000-06-29T02:56:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/1 "2000-06-29T02:56:39Z")
Look at this [Photo](http://www.elpais.es/p/d/20000628/espana/fotonoti.htm) showing the public execution of ten drug dealers in China. Look at the bleachers full of people. It is difficult to make them out but many look like women and even children. I don’t know what to say… I guess East _is_ East and thank goodness West is not like that. ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/2 "2000-06-29T03:03:16Z")
Clearly dressing like “Don Johnson, the Miami Vice years” is a capitol offence in China. Maybe there not all that uncivilized after all. ---
**Author:** ![neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neuro-trash_grrrl)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/3 "2000-06-29T03:10:39Z")
No, East is East, and West is West, but dictatorships are pretty much alike the world over. It’s the “circus” part of bread and circuses. It worked for the Romans, it can work for you. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/4 "2000-06-29T03:29:23Z")
I do not think even in latin american dictatorships they have ever filled stadiums for the public to enjoy the executions. In any case, my judgment is not for the government carrying out the execution but what do you think of a people that would consider that a spectacle? I have been to GuangZhou (The place of the executions) several times and you soon realize those people have no concept of kindness to animals. They are very cruel by our standards. It seems the have very little regard for human life as well. I will add the caption says the prime minister of Spain, who is visiting China, demanded more respect for human rights and on the same day these executions were carried out as if to make a point. ---
**Author:** ![Asmodeus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@Asmodeus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asmodeus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/5 "2000-06-29T03:29:43Z")
Was a time when executions were a public spectacle here in the good old USA. Perhaps they should be again. It sure would make a lasting imprint on a young persons mind. Perhaps deter some future wrong choice. ---
**Author:** ![Niggle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Niggle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niggle)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/6 "2000-06-29T04:23:28Z")
Methinks it’s dangerous to start making assumptions about what was going on without knowing the whole story. I’m not able to read spanish, so I can’t comment on what these guys actually did. Who knows, maybe they murdered a couple people, sold or imported some drugs and then raped some children. Who knows? I would be tempted to use people like that to send a message out to everyone else. This is not acceptible. I was very **UNfortunate** in my two years in China to witness an execution and to be around when another one was taking place. Neither were public, although they did parade the second set of people through the streets with signs around their necks. The one I did witness was from a long way away – I was hiking up a mountain that was above the “ground zero”. No, I didn’t look when the shot was fired. It was VERY disturbing. It’s my belief that the Chinese government is extremely eager to let their citizens know that acts such as those that were performed by the individuals in question were not going to go unpunished. Unless you paid off the correct officials, of course. Weather or not this is appropriate or not is what one might want to debate. Part of me says that it is most unappropriate (as is their habit of sending the bill for the bullet used to the family of the deceased) and the other half says that maybe people who commit murder or destroy homes by dealing drugs do desrve this fate. Oh I dunno, it’s a sticky situation regardless. Asmodeus’s point is well said also. Here in north america as well as in europe public executions used to be quite the occasion. They were parties! Oh how we have changed. The point being that we don’t really stand on a pedestal when it comes to situations like this. hmph… this is longer than I hoped… oh well. -niggle ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/7 "2000-06-29T05:27:16Z")
Well, I thought this would shock everyone on the board but I guess I was wrong. I thought even those who were _for_ the death penalty would be against making a public spectacle of it. Again, regardless of what the authorities do, would you like to live among people who think watching an execution is a fun way to spend the afternoon? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/8 "2000-06-29T13:33:05Z")
What, you don’t think a public execution in the USofA would draw a crowd? DP supporters, protestors, reporters, cops and consessioners…it would be huge… ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/9 "2000-06-29T13:39:36Z")
Not wanting to start a GD here, but what the hell is the difference? People are executed the world over, including here in the US. And the most important thing is sparing the feelings of the general public??? ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/10 "2000-06-29T14:09:41Z")
Sailor, Ugh. Avid death penalty opponent here. I don’t however, think the practice of public executions is limited to modern China - It’s been done by many states throughout history as a public deterrent/spectacle and lots of U.S. states let the public in to see. Hearing that about a dictatorship like China does not surprise me - the government will do anything it can to remind the people what could happen to them any second, to show people that they punish lawbreakers, to give people some diversion in their grey communist life - a public catharsis. So where’s this debate going to go - pro/con death penalty or a discussion of cultural relativism? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/11 "2000-06-29T14:38:26Z")
[/quote] Who knows, maybe they murdered a couple people, sold or imported some drugs and then raped some children. Who knows? [/quote] Per the article, the men were guilty of narcotics trafficking. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/12 "2000-06-29T14:48:30Z")
Executions are horrific enough. Making 'em public is unconscionable. It is true that we had public executions in the US, but I think these days we call 'em “lynching”. This is something we want to bring back? ---
**Author:** ![Vestal\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5e9695/32.png) [@Vestal\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vestal_Blue)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/13 "2000-06-29T16:39:53Z")
Drug dealers, huh? Good. While we’re at it, let’s bring out the rapists, murderers and child molesters. Oh, and on a personal note, partial-birth abortionists, and the politicians who support it. I don’t _even_ want to hear about Chinese disregard for life while we let _that_ horror continue in this country. ---
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/14 "2000-06-29T16:53:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\* > Executions are horrific enough. Making 'em public is unconscionable. > > It is true that we had public executions in the US, but I think these days we call 'em “lynching”. This is something we want to bring back? > \*\* Actually, a lynching was when you (a non-representative of the judicial system) took it upon your self to hang someone who was still waiting for their trial or execution. A good ol’ fashioned hangin’ is what your refering to. Personally, I agree w/Asmodeus. If we televised executions on pay-per-veiw we could finanace a lot of prisons & could probably discourage a few felons. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/15 "2000-06-29T18:41:14Z")
OK, I discussed the photo with a Chinese person and it seems I may have the wrong impression. She tells me they would not execute people in a public stadium like that and that the photo looks like a public trial or sentencing. She tells me normally they would be executed out of town. The caption of the photo says they are drug trafickers being led to their execution. I guess I probably read into that more than there is and the prisoners are not going to be shot right there and then. The caption is not clear enough and may give the wrong impression but I am glad to know all those people in the background were not attending executions. ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2000, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-executions-in-china/23961/16 "2000-06-29T19:09:09Z")
I plugged the URL into AltaVista’s Babelfish translater and here’s what I got: > [@](#): > > **China executes to ten people during the visit of Aznar** > > Ten people accused of drug trafficking (in the photo, escorted towards patíbulo) were executed Monday in Guanzhou, to the Southeastern of China. That same day, Jose Maria Aznar had requested specifically during his official visit to this country a greater respect to the human rights. The Chinese president, Jiang Zemin, thus disregarded once again the requests that in this sense make him arrive the western leaders. - PHOTO: EPA Not as badly mangled as one might expect. ~~Baloo