The Beijing News
July 15, 2008

Today's Beijing News reported on a murder trial in Beijing First Intermediate People’s Court. Song Xiaoming, a murderer on death row convicted of killing Ma Gang, has had his penalty reduced to 12 years at the request of Ma's mother. The image on the front page shows Song Xiaoming kneeling in front of his victim's mother Liang Jianhong.

Song Xiaoming, 23, and Ma Gang, 26, were both originally from Hebei Province. The two men came to Beijing together in 2006 and worked a variety of low level jobs.

On January 8 Song stabbed Ma to death. The reason, according to Song, was that Ma refused to pay Song 560 yuan that he owed. Song said it was the time of the Spring Festival, and he badly needed the money so he could go home. Song's parents divorced when Song was seven; he moved in with his grandmother after his father died years ago. "But Ma wouldn't give me the money, so I brought a knife to try to intimidate him."

After he killed Ma, Song thought he would certainly be killed; a death sentence seemed inevitable.

His fate was changed by Ma's mother Liang Jianhong, who insisted that Song should be given a second chance. Ms Liang said Song's death wouldn't bring his son back to life; Song was still young and could have a long life in front of him. But she also made it clear that though she intervened to save Song's life, she still hates him for his crime. Ms Liang also waved off her opportunity for financial compensation from the defendant, noting "his family was even poorer than mine."

Song said he hated his own mother, who turned her custody of him to his father after their divorce. He didn't get much affection from his father who used to beat him, and he grew to hate his mother for leaving him.

He says it was Ms Liang who made him realize that nothing is unforgivable; he says he has now forgiven his mother:

"[Ms Liang] gave me a second life. She is really a great person. She taught me about tolerance. I hope I can take care of her after I am released."

Song called Ms Liang "mother" in the court. But his "mother" is still grieving over the loss of her own son and says she does not want to see Song again because he reminds her of something so painful.