Document - People's Republic of China: The Death penalty log in 2000

SOURCE OF REPORT DATEPLACENAMEALLEGED CRIMEDSEX2yOTHER INFORMATION

People's Court News 13/02/00

Democracy and Law Pictorial 11/00

03/01/00

Nanyang C

Henan P

Zhou Yuanyin (village leader)

Xiong Jianbo

IntI

IntI

1

1

1

1

The two were sentenced to death with a two-year suspension, by Nanyang City Intermediate People's Court (date not known). Their appeals were rejected by Henan Province High People's Court on 3 January 2000. It was reported that Zhou had hired Xiong Jianbo and Cao Lianbo to attack party branch secretary, Zhang, because Zhou had been criticised by Zhang for failing in his official duties. That on 27 November 1998, Zhang was called late at night by the local police station to ask the family of an old lady to come and collect her. After he left the house, his wife heard a noise; a man came out of the toilet and asked where her husband was - he then stabbed her with a vegetable knife. When Xiong and Cao were arrested later that evening they told the police that they had been instructed by Zhou to attack Zhang. Cao was sentenced to an unspecified term of imprisonment.

Newspapers and Periodicals Digest 06/07/00

c.03/01/00

Luliang Dist

Shanxi P

Wang Shijie

Endangering public safety, IntI

1

Sentenced by Luliang District Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that Wang refused to pay a road toll; he then ran over and killed the toll collector and injured two other officials (no further information).

Beijing Morning Post 10/01/00

AP 10/01/00

c.10/01/00

Weinan C

Shaanxi P

Pu Xiaogang

M, K

1

Sentenced by Weinan City Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that in July 1999 Pu kidnapped the seven-year-old son of a local shop owner on his way home from school. Having drugged the boy with sleeping pills, he telephoned the family and demanded a ransom of 500,000 Yuan (US$60,500.). He panicked when the child's grandmother, who reportedly took the ransom call, recognized his voice; he then brought the unconscious child to a cave and buried him alive.

Yinchuan Evening News 14/03/00

12/01/00

Yinchuan C

Ningxia Hui AR

Ou Yangjun (29 yrs)

M

1

1

Ou was sentenced to death on 13 September 1999 - court of first instance is not known. It was reported that in April 1999 he had strangled his wife during an argument and had then killed her young son from a previous marriage. Tests were ordered to determine whether Ou had been mentally ill at the time he committed the offences; it was further reported that he was found to have been in full possession of his faculties and responsible for his actions.

Hubei Farmers' News 12/01/00

c.12/01/00

Nanyang C

P ?

Guo Zhengsheng

M

1

Sentenced by Nanying City Intermediate People's Court. One other in the case was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.

Qinghai Legal News 02/03/00

Hebei Farmers' News 07/03/00

13/01/00

Nanying C

Henan P

Jia Fuyuan

M

1

1

Sentenced by Nanying City Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that someone poisoned one of Jia's horses and a cow, and that he had suspected his cousin of the poisoning. The report indicated that on 30 March 1998 Jia killed his aunt and uncle with a trowel. After his arrest Jia claimed that he was mentally ill and was not responsible for his actions. This claim was supported by a statement from Nanyang City mental hospital on 8 December 1998 and he was released from custody on 6 January 1999. On 25 November 1999 this diagnosis was withdrawn and his condition was reassessed as a ''mental reaction'' rather than an illness and therefore, Jia could bear full criminal responsibility for his actions. It is unclear why the medical diagnosis was reexamined.

Another report puts the date of execution as 25 April 2000.

Jilin Daily 15/05/00

13/01/00

Siping C

Jilin P

Sun Changchun

M, IntI, ''Crowd fighting'', Harming public order, Illegal detention

1

Sentenced by Siping City Intermediate People's Court on 13 January 2000. Sun appealed the sentence, and in September 2000 Jilin Province High People's Court held that the facts were not clear and sent the case back to the intermediate people's court for retrial. On 4 December 2000, Siping City Intermediate People's Court after five days deliberation, imposed the death sentence for the second time; no further details.

See AI Urgent Action ASA 17/31/00 and ASA 17/013/2001

14/01/00

Fuzhou C

Fujian P

Zhou Xiaojun

Intentional killing

1

Zhou Xiaojun has been detained since December 1989, when he was arrested after a fight outside his house in Changle county, in which three people were stabbed, two of them fatally. He was first sentenced to death in 1990; Fujian Province High People's Court overturned his conviction on appeal in January 1992, ruling that the principal facts of the case were unclear and returned it to the original court for retrial. The retrial began in 1993 but was then adjourned for seven years for ''additional investigation''. No other explanation was ever given for this delay. The retrial finally commenced in January 2000 and Zhuo was convicted of ''intentional killing'' after a trial that lasted only a few hours. No witnesses were called, and reportedly no new evidence was presented. After a half-hour of deliberation the judges again sentenced Zhuo to death. This case has been the subject of an Urgent Acton by Amnesty International. A confession which Zhuo testifies was extracted through torture was central to the prosecution. When first apprehended Zhuo testifies he was suspended from handcuffs attached to the bars of a door with his feet locked in 50kg shackles, and was kicked and beaten with electric batons whenever he failed to follow the prepared "confession" script. The procurator reportedly failed to record Zhuo's allegations of torture when he retracted his confession at their first meeting, even though procuratorate staff had seen Zhuo suspended from the door and his wounds the scars of which reportedly remain visible 10 years later. At the time of writing no further news was known. His appeal was heard on 29 November 2000.

Henan Daily 15/01/00

Qianjiang Evening News 12/02/00

Henan Daily 24/05/00

Henan Daily 25/05/00

Xi'an Evening News 05/06/00

14/01/00

Pingdingshan C

Henan P

Ren Chengjian (manager and executive of an enterprise group)

Jiang Changqing (?Chen Jianmin) (deputy manager of a bank)

F, C, B

F, C, B

1

1

1

1

Ren Chengjian, former manager and executive of the Sanren Enterprise company in Henan, province and Jiang Changqing, former deputy manager of the Yingyang city Branch of the Bank of China, were sentenced by Pingdingshan City Intermediate People's Court on 14 January 2000; several co-defendants were sentenced to life and unspecified terms of imprisonment. Their appeals against sentence were rejected by Henan Province High People's Court on 23 May 2000.

It was reported that the group of men had made a counterfeit chop (seal) of the China Investment Bank; that on 36 occasions between November 1994 and January 1997 the group had fraudulently borrowed 366.31m Yuan (US$44 m) to set up bogus companies. Ren Chengjian was said to have borrowed money on 31 occasions and obtained more than two-thirds of the money, and to have offered bribes of 170,000 Yuan (US$ 20,600). Of the seven co-defendants - two were sentenced to life imprisonment; five received unspecified terms of imprisonment. Reports differ about the name of the second person sentenced to death - either Jiang Changqing or Chen Jianmin.

China News Service 14/01/00

AFP 14/01/00

RTHK Radio 3 Hong Kong

BBC 14/01/00

c.14/01/00

Hangzhou C

Zhejiang P

Wei Jiade (35 yrs, farmer)

Wang Bin (31 yrs, farmer)

P

P

1

1

1

1

The two were executed following sentencing by Hanzhou City Intermediate People's Court.They were convicted of running a prostitution racket out of a hairdressing salon in an hotel in Xiaoshan city.It was reported that Wei, who had rented the premises, recruited women from other provinces with false promises of work and then controlled them through beatings and threats. Wei and Wang found clients by calling rooms in the hotels and offering the women to the guests, and they split the profits with the hotel managers and staff. From October 1996 to June 1997 the two alledgedly ammassed 210,000 Yuan (US$25,400).

Qinghai Legal News 27/12/00

15/01/00

Qinghai P

Li Wenyuan (reports state that Li's real name is not used because he is a minor - however his age is unclear and according to Chinese law a minor should not receive the death penalty)

M

1

1Court of first instance and date of sentence are not known. On 15 January 2000 Qinghai Province High People's Court handed down the death sentence with a two-year reprieve. It was reported that Li, a pupil in the lower third class at Dongxia Xiang Middle School in Datong county, Xining municipality, Qinghai province, had a fight with a schoolmate named Xie; following the fight Li's father reportedly taunted him as a ''loser''. On 12 January 1998 Li quarrelled with Xie again; after school he stabbed Xie to death and fled to the mountains.

Jiangxi Legal News 27/04/00

17/01/00

Nankang C

Jiangxi P

Ceng Linggui

Ceng Haiming

M, K

M, K

1

1

1

1

Court of first instance and date of sentence are not known. It was reported that the two had kidnapped and murdered a seven-year-old child.

Beijing Morning News 19/01/00

Beijing Evening News 19/01/00

AFP 19/01/00

18/01/00

Beijing M

Jiao Peiying (medical doctor)

M

1

1

Jiao Peiying was executed following sentencing by Beijing City No. 2 Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that Jiao had paid a person 60,000 Yuan (US$7300) to kill his girlfriend in March 1998, after she tried to end their relationship.

Beijing Evening News 19/01/00

18/01/00

Beijing M

3 unnamed

M, Rob, T

3

3

Inner Mongolia Legal News 15/02/00

18/01/00

Baotou C

Inner Mongolia AR

Zhang Jianjun (42 yrs, bank manager)

C, E

1

1

Zhang Jianjun, former head of a sub-branch of the China Commercial Bank in Baotou city, was sentenced by Baotou City Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that between 1994 and 1998 Zhang had, on nine occasions and using various methods, obtained a total of 612,488 Yuan (US$ 74,000) of public funds; further, that he had also embezzled 112,800 Yuan (US$13,600) of the bank's money.

Hubei Legal News 16/02/00

Police Siren Issue No. 4, 2000

18/01/00

Zhengzhou C

Henan P

Ma Qiang

M, ArmR

1

Sentenced by Zhengzhou Railway Transport Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that in June 1999 Ma and one other had killed a railway duty policeman and stolen his gun, and that later in the year they had carried out an armed robbery of a jewellery store in Zhoukou city, Henan province.

People's Security News 06/2000

19/01/00

?P

Jin Benwan (57 yrs)

M

1

1

Court of first instance and date of sentence are not known. The report indicated that the case concerned the finding of parts of the body of a woman in Deqing county (unnamed province) in April 1999,which were subsequently believed to be those of a young woman who had disappeared in 1994.

People and Law 04/99

Guizhou Legal Life News 10/08/99

Henan Legal News 22/01/00

Henan Youth News-Weekly Special 26/01/00

Hubei Legal News 04/02/00

Qilu Evening News 18/02/00

19/01/00

Nanyang C

Henan P

Guo Haijun (24 yrs, security guard)

Theft of national treasures

1

1

Sentenced to death by Nanyang City Intermediate People's Court on 18 January 1999. He was executed following a public sentencing rally on the order of Henan Province High People's Court on 19 January 2000. It was reported that the case involved the theft of 31 artefacts dating from the Qing Dynasty, including 16 Grade II items and 15 Grade III items. The report indicated that Guo was a security guard in Henan museum and the items he stole were on loan to the museum from the Palace Museum in Beijing. All the artefacts were recovered but some were damaged.

Zhejiang Legal System News 12/02/00

19/01/00

Hangzhou C

Zhejiang P

Zhong Xiaowei (investment company employee)

Tax

1

1

Court of first instance and date of sentence are not known. Zhong Xiaowei who had been employed in the Jiande city branch of an investment company in Zhejiang province, was convicted of VAT receipts fraud carried out between 1992 and 1994. It was reported that the case involved 77 false VAT receipts amounting to some 36.7m Yuan (US$ 4.4m), representing a loss in tax revenue to the state of some 9.7m Yuan (US$1.2m).

Hunan Population News 18/02/00

Inside and Outside Court, Issue No. 5, 2000

19/01/00

Huaihua C

Hunan P

ri0 Yu Rongping (36 yrs)

M

1

1

Sentenced by Huaihua City Intermediate People's Court - date not known. He was executed by the Huaihua City Intermediate People's Court on the order of Hunan Province High People's Court. It was reported that in December 1998 Yu contracted a sexually transmitted disease from a prostitute. Yu and his wife were then forced to spend the capital they had saved to invest in a business on medical treatment for Yu, but he continued to be ill. Yu and his wife had a violent argument about the situation during which he killed her, and then stabbed himself.

Yangcheng Evening News 19/01/00

AFP 21/01/00

19/01/00

Guangzhou C

Guangdong P

Xu Feng

6 unnamed

Chen Weirong

Luo Ronghang

Chen Zhaozhang

Deng Tangguang

Liu Tiemin

Gu Wenhui

M, IntI, Rob

M, IntI, Rob

M, Rob

M, Rob

M, Rob

M

D

D

1

6

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

6

1

1

1

1

1

1

The 13 people executed were convicted in several different cases.

It was reported that Xu Feng and the six unnamed went on a month-long crime spree in Guangzhou city, during which they killed two people, injured two others and stole 30,000 Yuan (US$3,600). Chen Weirong, Luo Ronghang and Chen Zhaozhang were reported to have killed 14 people and stolen some 1m Yuan (US$121,000), during a six-year period. Deng Tangguang was convicted of killing his former wife's boyfriend; Liu Tiemin of trafficking in 510g of heroin, and Gu Wenhui of trafficking in 80,000g of ''ice'' (crystal methamphetamine).

SCMP 25/01/00

19/01/00

Xinjiang Uighur AR

He Pu (29 yrs, computer operator)

E

1

1

Court of first instance and date of sentence are not known. He Pu, a former computer operator at the regional branch of the People's Bank of China, was convicted of embezzling more than 12.4m Yuan (US$1.5m) in government funds.

Liberation Daily 20/01/00

Henan Legal News 22/01/00

Legal Life News 04/03/00

Northern Public Security News 30/03/00

19/01/00

Lankao Co

Henan P

Feng Xueliang (cadre, farm machinery depot manager)

Sun Jianli (cadre, farm machinery station manager)

Yuan Junqi (cadre)

Fu Jingtian (cadre)

M

M

M

M

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Sentenced by Kaifeng City Intermediate People's Court on 16 December 1999; of the co-defendants in the case - one was sentenced to life imprisonment, others received unspecified terms of imprisonment.The appeals of the four were rejected by Henan Province High People's Court on 17 January and they were executed on 19 January 2000. It was reported that Feng had instigated a murder plot among his fellow cadres against Lian Qinghai, a cadre and former head of the agricultural machinery supervisory body in Lankao county, Henan province. Lian had been dismissed from this post, which was subsequently held by Sun Jianli. Feng and others had hired Fu Jingtian to arrange to kill Lian because he had reported them to the local procuratorate about alleged financial mismanagement at the plant.In September 1999 Yuan and another man poured petrol into the intended victim's house, barred the door shut and set the place on fire; the man, his wife and two young children died.

People's Daily 20/01/00

Guangxi Legal News 10/03/00

19/01/00

Nanning C

Guilin C

Beihai C

Guangxi Zhuang AR

Huang Zuren

Yu Jiming

2+ unnamed

Yu Junfa

4+ unnamed

Lan Fucai

7 unnamed

M

Rob, G

Rob, G

Rob, T

Rob, T

K

Us

1

1

2+

1

4+

1

7

1

1

2+

1

4+

1

7

All were executed following public sentencing rallies held in eight towns in Nanning, Guilin and Beihai cities.

Legal Daily 04/12/99

Yangcheng Evening News 04/12/99

Yangcheng Evening News 20/01/00

AFP 21/01/00

SCMP 21/01/00

SCMP 24/01/00

20/01/00

Guangzhou C

Guangdong P

Su Guibiao (38 yrs)

Chen Weicheng (38 yrs)

M, IntI, Rob, G, D, Explosives

M, Int, Rob

1

1

1

1

Sentenced by Guangzhou City Intermediate People's Court on 26 October 1999. Their sentences were upheld by Guangdong Province High People's Court on 3 December 1999, and they were executed on 20 January 2000. It was reported that Su and Chen had a dispute with a Hong Kong man and on 7 June 1999, seeking revenge, they broke into the man's flat, killing the man and six members of his family.

Inner Mongolia Legal News 15/02/00

20/01/00

Hohhot C

Inner Mongolia AR

Xu Honglin (taxi driver)

Cheng Bo

Li Yuesheng

Wang Baowei

slmult1 Geng Huanhuan

Li Erjun

Liu Lianzhu

Ren Guangbao

M

Us

Us

Us

Us

Us

M, Rob/C

M, Rob/C, R,

R, Ab/SW

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

The eight were executed following a public sentencing rally held by Hohhot City Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that Xu had murdered his girlfriend after an argument; that he strangled two women after he had had sex with them and they asked for money. Liu and Ren stabbed a car driver to death and stole the vehicle; Ren was also convicted of raping a woman, abducting her and selling her to a man (to be a wife).

Henan Legal News 20/01/00

c.20/01/00

Zhengzhou C

Henan P

Zhang Jinbo

M, ArmR

1

Sentenced by Zhengzhou Railway Transport Court. It was reported that Zhang and others had carried out four armed robberies, and that he had stabbed a person to death - no further details.

Xinmin Evening News 21/01/00

21/01/00

Shanghai M

1 + unnamed

He Runhua

D

D

1 +

1

1

Shanghai Railway Transport Intermediate People's Court handed down sentences on 13 people in four cases. It was reported that 12 received sentences of death or life imprisonment. The report does indicate the numbers sentenced to death. One person was executed following sentencing. It is unclear if the one executed was called He Runhua or if he was sentenced to death only. Three of the cases reportedly involved the transportation of 1900g of heroin, including the case of He Runhua who was apprehended on a train to Shanghai with1004.5g of heroin. The fourth case involved a big brawl in which one person was killed and five injured; in this case two were sentenced to life imprisonment and several others were sentenced to unspecified terms of imprisonment.

Zhejiang Countryside News 21/03/00

21/01/00

Zhuzhou C

Hunan P

Duan Fangyun (f, 30 yrs)

P

1

Sentenced by Zhuzhou City Intermediate People's Court; her husband, Li Wenbing, was sentenced to life imprisonment; two other co-defendants, Tan Qingguo and Li Wenhong received sentences of 13 years and 10 years' imprisonment, respectively. It was reported that they had lured 10 girls aged between 15 and 17 years old into prostitution.

Shenzhen Legal News 02/03/00

Guangxi Legal News 03/03/00

22/01/00

Pingxiang C

Guangxi Zhuang AR

Kang Zhenye

Kang Xiaoming

M, Rob

M, Rob

1

1

1

Sentenced by Pingxiang City Intermediate People's Court; a co-defendant and brother, Kang Yiwei, was sentenced to life imprisonment. It was reported that Kang Zhenye longed to be rich; in 1995 he was alleged to have stolen 150,000 Yuan (US$18,000) which he turned into more than 400,000 Yuan (US$48,000) after two years in business. The report further indicated that in 1998 he lost all the money and was said to have threatened a business associate into providing him with some money; then in early 1999 the three Kangs reportedly robbed and murdered a man.

Henan Legal News 22/01/00

c.22/01/00

Nanyang C

Henan P

Liu Jiansheng (41 yrs, oil refinery worker)

M

1

Sentenced by Nanyang City Intermediate People's Court. Reported that Liu stabbed several people, killing one of them during an argument in a restaurant with his wife's cousins.

Guangming Daily (?) 23/01/00

c.23/01/00

Huangshan C

Anhui P

Xie Yuming

M

1

1

Court of first instance and date of sentence are not known. He was executed with the approval of the Anhui Province High People's Court. It was reported that Xie had murdered a forestry official in Anhui province (no further details).

China Women's News 01/02/00

24/01/00

Guiyang C

P ?

Zhang Rui (30 yrs, head teacher, primary school)

R, Indecent assault

1

Sentenced by Guiyang City Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that he had raped 14 girls under 14 years old, and had carried out a further 46 indecent assaults on girls under 14 years old.

ols

Shenzhen Legal News 14/02/00

Hebei Farmers' News 26/02/00

24/01/00

Tiangdong Co

Guangxi Zhuang AR

Huang Zhongfan

Ab/SW, F

1

1

Sentenced by an intermdiate people's court circa February 1999, and executed on 24 January 2000. It was reported that over a period of seven years Huang befriended 26 women, took them ''travelling'' (meaning not clear) to Beijing and other places, then sold them in Shanxi province (a pregnant woman was sold for 3000 Yuan (US$360). The report indicated that the oldest of the women was 22 years old and the youngest 16 years old. He was said to have made 121,200 Yuan (US$14,600) from the sale of the women.

Qinghai Legal News 09/02/00

24/01/00

Xining C

Qinghai P

Li Yinghai (20 yrs)

Yang Luzheng

Zhao Yang

Li Zhong

M, Rob

M

M

IntI/causing death

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

The four were executed following sentencing by Xining City Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that in January 1999 Li Yinghai beat a stallholder to death and stole cigarettes and liquor; in February 1999 Yang strangled a man in a fight; in June 1998 Zhao killed an employee of the water and electricity authority during a fight; in May 1997 Li Zhong and his older sister killed a person in a fight - Li ran away and during the period before his arrest, he and his brother killed a person in a drunken brawl.

Legal System and Culture Issue No. 5, 2000

Liaoshen Evening News 21/02/00

24/01/00

Liaohe C

Liaoning P

Zhao Dongning (34 yrs)

Qu Tiandong

He Qiangyi

M

M

M

1

1

1

It was reported that Liaohe Oilfield Intermediate People's Court announced the sentences at a meeting attended by some 1000 oil workers and their families (no further information).Two reports differ in the dates of the rally (24/01/00 or 24/02/00)

Henan Daily 27/01/00

People's Court News 12/02/00

25/01/00

Zhengzhou C

Henan P

Zhang Shuyou (farmer)

Ma Erxiao (worker in a traffic college)

10 unnamed

Rob

Rob

Rob

1

1

10

1

1

10

The 12 were executed on the order of Henan Province High People's Court, following a public sentencing rally held by Zhengzhou City Intermediate People's Court. Reported that Zhang and some 20 others from the same village formed a gang, and posing as policemen, stopped vehicles and robbed them. Ma Erxiao reportedly caused the death of a person during the course of a robbery.

People's Court News 12/02/00

25/01/00

Ningde Dist

Fujian P

Xiapu Co

Jiangxi P

2 unnamed

Us

2

2

The two were executed following a joint sentencing rally held by the intermediate and county people's courts of Ningde city and Xiapu county.

Henan Legal News 03/02/00

25/01/00

Dancheng Co

Henan P

Wang Wenliang (36 yrs)

M, A

1

1

Sentenced by Zhoukou District Intermediate People's Court on 16 October 1999; the sentence was upheld by Henan Province High People's Court; he was executed on 25 January 2000. It was reported that Wang was angry because his female business partner left without saying goodbye and that he set fire to her house killing her and her family.

Qianjiang Evening News 21/02/00

25/01/00

Qingyuan Co

Zhejiang P

Li Zhangqing (21 yrs)

M, R, T

1

1

Court of first instance and date of sentence are not known. It was reported that he murdered one woman and raped another in 1999, and stole goods to the value of 37,000 Yuan (US$4500) - no further details.

Shandong Legal News 01/06/00

25/01/00

Wehai C

Shandong P

Yu Zhanqiang

R, IntI, Stirring up trouble

1

1

Yu Zhanqiang, described in a report as ''the village tyrant'', was sentenced by Weihai City Intermediate People's Court on 2 November 1999. His appeal was rejected by the provincial high people's court (date not known), and confirmed by the Supreme Court on 27 December 1999. He was executed on 25 January 2000.

Qinghai Legal News 24/04/00

26/01/00

?

Hubei P

Liu Yinliang (37 yrs)

M

1

1

Court of first instance and date of sentence are not known. The report indicated that Liu did not have a good relationship with his neighbours in his village, and was reported to have murdered one of them in a dispute over a cucumber - no further details.

Northern Public Security News 10/04/00

26/01/00

plain Jilin C

Jilin P

Zhao Weimin (19 yrs)

M, Rob

1

1

Sentenced by Jilin City Intermediate People's Court on 29 March 1999; nine others were sentenced to unspecified terms of imprisonment. It was reported that their behaviour was inspired by watching violent videos - no further details.

New Country News (formerly Hubei Farmers' News) 19/02/00

27/01/00

Shiyan C

Hubei P

Ke Changming (50 yrs)

M

1

1

Sentenced by Shiyan City Intermediate People's Court on 27 August 1999. It was reported that he killed a man in a fight over a gambling debt.

Gansu Peasant's News 04/04/00

27/01/00

Jiuquan Dist

Gansu P

He Shikai (35 yrs)

M, R, Escaping

1

1

Sentenced by Jiuquan District Intermediate People's Court on 29 September 1999. His appeal was rejected by Gansu Province High People's Court and he was executed on 27 January 2000. It was reported that on 16 April 1995 He Shikai went to borrow some money from a villager and that when he found the wife alone in the house, he raped her. He was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years' imprisonment but on 26 August 1998 he escaped from prison. On 28 September 1998 he arrived at a village in Subei county, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where he took a job as a herdsman, using the name Cao Jinhai. On 5 January 1999, he went to a villager's house, murdered the husband and raped the wife twice.

Sichuan Countryside News 07/04/00

27/01/00

Mianyang C

Sichuan P

Liu Jihua (38 yrs)

M

1

1

Sentenced by Mianyang City Intermediate People's Court on 1 December 1999, and executed on 27 January 2000. Liu, who came from a large family, left home to find work. In June 1995 he started living with a woman but they quarrelled and Liu left her in (early) July 1997. It was reported that on 13 July 1997 he murdered his former partner's mother when she refused to let him back into the house.

Jiangxi Legal News 22/04/00

27/01/00

P ?

Ma Hongjun (24 yrs, bank worker)

Xie Xiaoqiang

Wang Pengfei

M, Rob

M, Rob

M, Rob

1

1

1

1

1

1

The two were executed following sentencing on 27 January 2000 (court not stated). It was reported that Ma, a worker in the Agricultural Bank, Sanyuan county, Jiangxi province, was sacked from his job for using public funds.On 11 April 1999 Ma called a friend at a bank some 20km away, saying that Ma, Xie and Wang wanted to visit him. On arrival at the bank they beat the friend to death with an iron bar and put his body on his bed in the gold store (which he had left open), and then stole 36,000 Yuan (US$4400).

New Country News (formerly Hubei Farmers' News) 19/02/00

28/01/00

Yao Xian Co

Shaanxi P

Zhang Liucheng

Zhu Yuanjian

IntI/causing death

IntI/causing death

1

1

1

1

The two were sentenced by Tongchuan City Intermediate People's Court; the sentences were upheld by the provincial high people's court; the two were executed on 28 January 2000. It was reported that they were in a drunken brawl following which a man died.

Anhui Legal News 17/02/00

28/01/00

Bengbu C

Anhui P

Zhang Min (independent taxi driver)

Meng Qinghua

M

M

1

1

1

Sentenced by Bengbu City Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that Zhang sold his taxi to Meng at a car repair shop in mid-1996 for 12,000 Yuan (US$1500) but kept all the documentation on the vehicle. In February 1997 Zhang travelled by train from Bengbu city to Heifei city from where he forced a man named Cao to drive him back to Bengbu city in a red taxi similar to the one he had sold to Meng; on arrival he killed Cao and disposed of his body in a pond. Zhang and Meng transferred the first vehicle's documentation to the dead man's vehicle, then sold it for 36,000 Yuan (US$4400).

Gansu Farmers' News 29/02/00

28/01/00

Pingliang C

Gansu P

Wang Dong (43 yrs, farmer)

Lu Huiyun (f)

M

M

1

1

Sentenced by Pingliang City Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that Wang married in 1994 but after the birth of a daughter the relationship with his wife deteriorated. He had an affair with Lu, who lived in the same village and they looked for a way to get rid of his wife. In April 1999 they killed Wang's his wife using rat poison.

Yangcheng Evening News 06/12/99

AFP 06/12/99

SCMP 07/12/99

Legal Daily 08/12/99

AFP 01/02/00

Henan Daily 01/02/00

Legal Daily 01/02/00

Chongqing Legal News 03/02/00

Yangcheng Evening News 19/02/00

28/01/00

Sanmenxia C

Henan P

Peng Miaoji (33 yrs, farmer)

Wang Tianxing

Zhang Jian

Zhao Xiaobin

Su Xiaoping (22 yrs)

Ding Yunhao (31 yrs, farmer)

Ma Wei

M, R, Rob, T

M, R, Rob, T

M, R, Rob, T

M, R, Rob, T

M, R, Rob, T

M, R, Rob, T

M,R,Rob,T

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

On 3 December 1999 seven members of a gang were sentenced to death by Sanmanexia City Intermediate People's Court. Of the seven, Ma Wei's death sentence was suspended for two years; two other gang members were sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment; one to 15 years and another to 14 years.

Peng, Su and Zhao appealed against sentence; Henan Province High People's upheld all the sentences, and the six were executed on the order of the provincial high people's court on 28 January 2000.

Reported that the gang had committed a series of murders, robberies and rapes between February 1998 and March 1999, ranging across several provinces and had tortured and murdered 77 people. Peng Miaoji, described as the leader of the gang, was said to have killed 40 people and to have beaten a gang member to death and burned his body, when he threatened to go to the police. The case was described as one of the country's most serious criminal cases in 50 years.

People's Court News 23/12/99

AFP 11/01/00

South China Morning Post 11/01/00

Henan Daily 27/01/00

Xinhua News Agency 28/01/00

Reuters 28/01/00

Xinming Evening News 29/01/00

People's Daily 29/01/00

Henan Commercial News 11/03/00

28/01/00

Shanwei C

Guangdong P

Weng Siliang

Huang Daming

Zhu Yousheng

Suoni Wei

Jia Hongwei

8 unnamed

Piracy

Piracy

Piracy

Piracy

Piracy

Piracy

1

1

1

1

1

8

1

1

1

1

1

8

The 13, including one Indonesian citizen, were sentenced to death by Shanwei City Intermediate People's Court on 22 December 1999; 19 received sentences ranging from 10 months to life imprisonment; the remaining six were acquitted because they had been of assistance to the authorities. The sentences of the 13 were upheld by Guangdong Province High People's Court on or around 10 January 2000, which also reduced the terms of imprisonment of two members of the gang. The executions were carried out on the order of the Supreme Court on 28 January 2000. It was reported that the 13 were among 38 accused of hijacking a Hong Kong-managed cargo vessel on 15/16 November 1998, when 18 members of the pirate gang posing as anti-smuggling police boarded the Changsheng in the South China Sea. The gang beat the 23 Chinese crew to death, weighed down the bodies and threw them into the sea as they sailed down the coast from Shanghai.The vessel has never been found. The killings were described as the worst of their kind in 50 years. (The reports also indicated that from August to October 1998 Weng, Suoni and others had boarded other ships and robbed them).

Liaoshen Evening News 03/02/00

28/01/00

Benxi C

Liaoning P

Yang Qingren (35 yrs, worker at a cement factory)

Zhang Shuli (33 yrs, worker at a cement factory)

Bai Fuli (42 yrs, miner)

Rob, G

Rob, G

M

1

1

1

It was reported that Yang and Zhang, both workers at the Benxi city cement factory, were convicted of robbery and illegal trading in arms and ammunition. It was reported that in 1996 they had robbed a man of 5000 Yuan (US$600), and that in 1999 during the course of a robbery they killed a man, blinded one other, and stole some 220,000 Yuan (US$26,600).

In a separate case, Bai Fuli was reported to have killed his common-law wife after a drunken fight.

Legal Digest 10/02/00

28/01/00

?P

Zhou Guanxing (21 yrs)

1 unnamed female

7 unnamed

M

M

M

1

1

7

1

1

7

Courts of first instance and dates of sentence are not known.

Beifang Legal News 23/11/00

28/01/00

Jingzhou C

Hubei P

Long Xuehuan

M, Rob

1

1

Sentenced by Jingzhou City Intermediate People's Court circa 27 December 1999; Long was executed on 28 January 2000. It was reported that on 24 June 1999 Long and Yang Jian killed a taxi driver, dismembered the body and scattered the pieces, and stole the taxi.Yang was injured during the attack on the taxi driver so they decided to go to Yang's girlfriend's house. On the way they injured a person on a bicycle but were able to pay him off (no further details). The report indicated that Yang Jian committed suicide on 20 July 2000.

Chongqing Legal News 18/02/00

29/01/00

Sichuan P ?

Yi Chongxue (41 yrs)

M

1

Court of first instance and date of sentence are not known. It was reported that on 21 November 1998 an 18-year-old female villager was found dead; that before she was killed she had told others in the village that Yi had been robbing and harassing her (no further details).

Yangtse Evening News 04/02/00

29/01/00

Taizhou C

Jiangsu P

Zhao Sulian (f, 37 yrs)

Rob

1

Sentenced by Taizhou City Intermediate People's Court. It was reported that Zhao was convicted of robbing 20 men of their watches and 50,000 Yuan (US$6100).

lbrdrl

Xi'an Evening News 17/02/00

29/01/00

Dingbian Co

Shaanxi P

Gao Mingying

M

11Sentenced by Yulin City Intermediate People's Court (date not known); the sentence was upheld by Shaanxi Province High People's Court; he was executed on 29 January 2000. It was reported that while Gao was in custody for gambling in Dingbian county, he stabbed a police station head to death.

Nanchang Legal News 17/05/00

29/01/00

Zhuhai C

Guangdong P

Liu Jili (f, nurse)

Zhang Liewei (35 yrs)

M

M

1

1

Sentenced by Zhuhai City Intermediate People's Court. Reported that Liu, who worked at a hospital, attracted the attention of a very rich man who came to the clinic with his pregnant wife, and they started an affair. The man divorced his wife and married Liu, eventually giving her the job of running his business. The man employed a very pretty secretary and fell in love with her, which made Liu very jealous. Liu offered the secretary 1m Yuan (US$121,000) to leave but she refused. Liu hired Zhang Liewei to kill the secretary which he agreed to do to settle a 300,000 Yuan (US$36,000) gambling debt.

AFP 01/02/00

30/01/00

Xianyang C

Shaanxi P

3 unnamed

Theft of national treasures

3

3

Reported to have been executed by Xianyang City Intermediate People's Court for stealing murals. The murals were among 27 excavated from the tomb of Wei Guifei, a Tang dynasty imperial concubine, in 1991, and placed in a museum in Liquan county, Shaanxi province. It was reported that the three had robbed the museum on four occasions between the years 1992 and 1994, and had stolen 15 murals which they sold in the southern city of Guangzhou. Three co-defendants were given sentences ranging from three years to life imprisonment.

China Women's News 02/02/00

30/01/00

Sansui Co

Guizhou P

Pan Nianmei

Yang Tongyou

Luo Lin

P

P

P

1

1

1

1

1

1

Pan, Yang and Luo were sentenced in September 1997 (court of first instance is not known); nine others in the case were sentenced to unspecified terms of imprisonment. The three were executed on the order of Guizhou Province High People's Court on 30 January 2000 - the executions were announced on 31 January 2000. It was reported that between 1995 and 1997 the gang had forced 50 females, aged between 13 and 18 years old, to go to Guangdong province to work as prostitutes.

Procuratorial Daily 01/02/00

China Daily 02/02/00

Reuters 02/02/00

People and Law 17/08/00

31/01/00

Fangchenggang C

Guangxi Zhuang AR

Maung Htay Aung (Burmese national)

Piracy

1

1

Maung Htay Aung and 13 other Burmese nationals were convicted of piracy by Fangchenggang City Intermediate People's Court on 31 January 2000.(some reports give differing dates) The 14 appealed to the autonomous region's high people's court which on 21 August 2000 suspended Maung's death sentence for two years; of the 13 others tried in the case, two were sentenced to life imprisonment and 11 received sentences ranging from three to 10 years' imprisonment; others were fined and deported. Maung was reported to have masterminded the hijacking of the cargo vessel Marine Master in the A