(Image Source: CNC World)
BY COLLIN RUANE
ANCHOR CANDICE AVILES
After announcing plans to air a live execution
earlier this week, China’s state-run CCTV
decided to scrap it at the last minute, but
still chose to air the events leading up to
the execution.
Drug lord Naw Kham and three accomplices were
sentenced to death after they were convicted
of killing 13 sailors on the Mekong River
in Thailand in 2011.
Despite skipping the actual execution, CNN
and KMGH note China’s government went through
a lot of effort to put on the CCTV special
-- keeping the cameras on the prisoners until
right before their final moments alive.
“Think Big Brother on death row.
The two hour television special was paid for
by the Chinese government.”
“Their arms were bound and then they were
placed into court vans.
This is the first time China has publicly
paraded condemned criminals in years.”
Executions are common in China, but this specific
execution attracted more attention because
the suspects killed Chinese sailors abroad.
China has many citizens who work out of the
country.
The Wall Street Journal adds that in a nation
working to better itself, events like this
remind people of what many call China’s
troubled past.
“The live coverage of the men preparing
to be executed, while extremely unusual, was
a reminder of Chinese law in decades past
when public executions were relatively commonplace.”
But it turns out many Chinese viewers actually
wanted to tune in.
ABC reports: “[A poll] asked whether people
thought the live broadcast was right or wrong.
Initially the majority of people supported
it.
But as the program began that balance shifted
until the firm majority were against CCTV’s
decision.”
The head of BBC’s Chinese service says he
spoke to Chinese citizens who believe CCTV
broke a promise to the public by not airing
the actual execution.
REPORTER: “Some people are disappointed
we actually didn’t see them dying.”
RAYMOND LI: “They thought there would be
live coverage showing the live scene of the
execution.
So they thought CCTV had cheated them.”
CCTV did not say why it chose not to air the
execution.
China carries out around 4,000 executions
every year..
