Chen Kegui, nephew of blind lawyer Chen Guangcheng, was sentenced to 39 months in jail for his role in fighting back hired thugs and local officials who had broken into his home on April 27. The man slashed three officials — out of a group of about 20 of the most spineless, chicken-livered, piss-poor excuses of human beings — who had, among other things, upset Chen’s feverish six-year-old child, and for that he was charged with “intentional homicide” (later brought down because even in bizarro Shandong province, it’s difficult to prosecute someone for homicide when no one fucking died). In some countries, it’s a man’s civic duty to bust up the snot-crusted lip of porcine bastards who break into one’s house. In this country, that man will spend more than three years in jail. We’ll just get this out of the way now: the verdict is horseshit, and makes China look like the flies that feast on said shit.
As I’ve written before, justice seems like a quaint notion in Linyi, a village of cretins and cowards — save for, of course, Chen Guangcheng, who escaped house arrest, and his brother, Chen Guangfu, who also escaped house arrest. Meanwhile, Guangfu’s son, Kegui, is the only person left to take the fall, and goddam if those vindictive Linyi fuckers aren’t going to make sure of it. You’ll note that Kegui was:
1. Denied his choice of laywer;
2. Denied communication with the outside world for the last six months;
3. Denied a trial that lasted more than a few hours;
As you can expect, the people closest to Kegui haven’t taken well to the verdict. Via the above Reuters link:
“This verdict is absolutely unjust. His behavior was completely reasonable self defense. When it came out (the verdict), I lost hope in the law,” Chen Guangfu told Reuters by telephone.
And:
Ding Xikui, the family-appointed lawyer for Chen Kegui who has been unable to see his client or review the case materials, told Reuters he had only heard the trial was set to open hours beforehand when he was contacted by Chen Guangcheng in New York.
“After being entrusted as a lawyer by the family I have not been allowed to meet (Chen). This is terribly troublesome. This is illegal,” he said.
Illegal, huh? You think China is a country with rule of law?
Washington Post has more details:
Another activist and friend, Hu Jia, said on his Twitter account that Chen Kegui was found guilty and sentenced to 39 months in prison for the assault last April, which family members described as self-defense.
Hu, interviewed by telephone, said he spoke with a Chen relative allowed inside the courtroom in Linyi city, in eastern Shandong province. The relative told him that Chen Kegui said he would not appeal, and that he would pay compensation to the official who was most badly injured in the melee. Hu said he found Chen’s statements, if accurate, remarkable, and said they might indicate that Chen felt like “a hostage” to the local Shandong officials.
“What Chen Kegui said in court is so surprising,” Hu said. “I don’t think a normal person would say he wouldn’t appeal. He must be brainwashed or be under big pressure.”
This country has come a long way in a short time, and it’s learning, slowly but surely, how to be mature, reasonable, and responsible. If this verdict is allowed to stand (it will be, because that’s how Chinese courts work), everyone — and I mean everyone — will have yet another reason to believe why China is none of those things — not mature, not reasonable, not responsible. You want to be a leader on the world stage, PRC? You want the spoils that go to a superpower, including expanded coastlines and a voice in war-torn areas? Practice some common sense back home. Chen Kegui’s sentence is a sham and a shame, the result of a petty grudge against a blind man whose worst crime against China in the last six months has been to look good in an American magazine.
Until now, of course: Chen Guangcheng, after this verdict, can be said to have embarrassed China. Because this country will be haunted by its punishment of Chen Kegui on Guangcheng’s behalf. Powers that be will find some way to blame the blind lawyer, or any number of his friends, for what they perceive as subversion and actions harmful to the state, when in fact they should look in the mirror to find the rot that threatens to destroy the good graces of this country.
You say this only happens in China… If some thugs broke into your house in England and you slashed them with a knife, you would also be sentenced to prison.
It’s best, if you are able, to kill said intruder then when you have the chance take the body and dump it somewhere in a rural area. But only do this if you are forced because of ridiculous politically correct liberally minded unrealistic laws.
You wouldn’t actually. Anything perceived as reasonable self defence is considered perfectly legal under the law in England, as it should be, and indeed there are plans underway to allow even defence which is excessive.
Take for example this guy, who shot burglars in his home with a shotgun. He wasn’t charged: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2198753/Leicestershire-burglar-shooting-No-charges-couple-shot-burglers-targeted-isolated-cottage.html
I totally agree with this article. Defending yourself from people invading your home using a kitchen knife is totally acceptable.
@Gay Chevara
No. Reasonable force is permitted in most Western countries. The UK doesn’t permit you to kill anyone, but I do believe that if three people broke into your house unannounced and you gave them a bit of a cut, no court in the land would convict you.
Plus, the media would be allowed to make independent comment on the case and likely as not, mobilise our very active civil societies. Which we are permitted to have.
What about that farmer that shot two intruders in his home? Hi didn’t kill them but went to prison. Later released due to public outcry, but the law will not be on the side of the ‘victim’ in the UK.
I would like to see any references you have that suggest otherwise.
a) Tony Martin shot the two burglars as they fled his property, not while they were on the premises.
b) He killed one of them and was convicted of manslaughter, self-defence was not possible to argue because the man was running away.
Then I stand corrected, but will either of you tell me that if some chavvy burglar is in my house in England and I smack him in the side of the head with a golf club that I won’t be prosecuted?
In that situation you would not be prosecuted.
Don’t feel the trolls.
ahhhhh ok.
Gay Chevara, I KNEW you would bring up the case of Tony Martin. Mr Martin used EXCESSIVE force to deters intruders, in fact he shot them in the back as they were running away. This was a criminal act because they were leaving his property, and shooting children in the back when they are running away is only acceptable if you are the PLA.
Make sure they are Tibetan children first…
If they hurt or killed a loved one and they were running away I’d shoot them in the back. I am not familiar with the case in the UK.
So what about the many other cases of burglars taking legal action against people that have tried to defend their property? There are many such cases.
The problem is with the UK is that no-one is willing to take responsibility and the entire country is just too pc.
Yes, that’s the problem. People need to have a reasonable right to stand their ground.
Its pretty shameful for you to compare these two cases, and when other commenters took away your dumb comparison, start referring to ‘other cases’.
Its shameful what the Chinese government is doing, and its illegal and shows an absolute disregard for law. Those were thugs, plain and simple, in the service of the local government, and they were going to mercilessly and illegally beat Kegui and his family. But when he tries to protect himself, its a ‘crime’. Under China’s vaunted ‘rule of law’.
Shut up now while you aren’t too far behind, GC.
Problem with these comparisons is it wasn’t random burglars, it was local officials. Not sure if they’d technically need a warrant, but I’d guess not- in which case it seems more the Chinese equivalent of attacking policemen who come into your house.
And the lovely kicker the Chinese gov’t always has to throw into any announcement/damnation: “…according to Chinese law…”
If the government, whether local or state or federal, sent agents or police and they forced their way into your home and you shot one or two of them, feeling your life or your loved ones lives were threatened, you would be charged and probably sentenced to some period of time in jail in the US. I think it is hard to be victorious in any country if you are attacked by gov’t thugs. I believe there was a case in Indiana, USA of a man who used deadly force against a police officer who was using unreasonable force. I am not sure if the ruling was clear and what the outcome was.
That being said, yes, this Chinese court is behaving like a stupid jackass. At least if this happened in a civilized nation, and it wasn’t some type of covert operation, public opinion might be heard and might make a difference or result in no charges. But in China there is no public opinion unless the gov’t says so.