Diplomacy cannot undo law of the land
- Source: Global Times
- [02:06 December 24 2009]
- Comments
Death penalty is an emotive issue. It has evoked unending debate over life, justice and righteousness.
The controversy over whether Akmal Shaikh should be executed is further clouded by a number of unrelated issues between China and the UK.
Akmal Shaikh, a British national, was sentenced to death in October by the Intermediate People's Court of Urumqi for drug-trafficking. The Supreme People's Court upheld the verdict Tuesday.
From the British side, groups trying to save Shaikh's life line up a range of reasons, from China's human rights record to Shaikh's mental situation. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has stepped in with a fresh appeal asking the Chinese government for clemency. Even the diplomatic row between China and the UK over the conclusions of the climate change conference weighed in.
For the Chinese side, the case is sensitive because it brings back the black memory of the Opium War started by the British more than a century ago that dragged the country through a lengthy nightmarish period. China also has a history of public opinion supporting severe penalties for serious crime.
If the extraneous reasons are put aside, Shaikh's verdict is not complicated. He was caught red-handed on Chinese soil for attempting to traffick 4 kilograms of heroine, valued at 250,000 pound sterling($399,694) – a crime serious enough to be handed the death sentence. Arguably, Shaikh has a mental disorder. But, China has its own definition of mental illness, and by that he is deemed to be mentally sound.
The fact that Shaikh is the first European to be executed in China in 50 years is sensational enough to stir up public emotion. But viewed in context, the uniform application of sentencing standards for both the Chinese and foreigners underscores the progress of China's legal system, which is steadily building the principle of rule of law.
