|
Media regulation
No book deal for Qiu XinghuaPosted by Joel Martinsen, January 3, 2007 1:26 AM
Qiu Xinghua, the mass-murder who was executed last week, wrote his memoirs while in prison. According to his lawyer, this was intended to be a "negative example" to readers, and Qiu was worried that if he were found to be not guilty by reason of insanity, sales would be suffer. Publishing his story of the events surrounding his slaying of ten people at a Daoist temple would certainly be controversial, and it's not hard to imagine the wrangling over royalties that would ensue.
But the issue won't come up. An article in Tuesday's Mirror notes that Qiu's conviction stripped him of his political rights, which include not only the right to vote and hold office, serve in government, and occupy a leadership position in a state-owned enterprise (all of which are useless to him now, anyway), but also the right to freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, procession, and demonstration. According to the lawyer quoted in the article, since Qiu's right to freedom of the press was revoked, his autobiography cannot be published, even posthumously. Another right it turned out that Qiu did not have was the "right to a final goodbye" (临终告别权). On 29 December, the day after the execution, the Mirror ran a full-page story reporting on how various people were informed of the situation. Qiu's wife got all of her information from reporters; both the court and Qiu's lawyer denied having any responsibility to inform family members of the execution time. Chinese law allows the court to permit family members to visit the condemned, but it is under no compunction to do so. The Shaanxi court where Qiu was tried said that an emotional final visit could cause unexpected problems, and distraught family members could pose a threat to the safety of the execution procedure. The article quotes another lawyer who recommends adding family notification and visitation rights to the law, and notes that several jurisdictions, including Beijing and Foshan, have already begun trials. Links and Sources
There are currently 0 Comments for No book deal for Qiu Xinghua.
|
Partner Links
Jobs in China
Recent Comments
affordabe on
Blogspot unblocked, but Blogger is blocked
Adam J. Sc on
Snow in Beijing
Peter Kauf on
Bound feet in China
China Media Timeline
Major media events over the last three decades
Danwei Model Workers
![]() Recommended blogs and new media
Books on China
Xujun Eberlein's Apologies Forthcoming: Hong Kong's Blacksmith Books has published a short story collection by Xujun Eberlein.
Princess Der Ling: Two Years in the Forbidden City: Two years in the Forbidden City is largely a reminiscence of the minutiae of life for one of history's most powerful women, by one of her court attendants, a Manchu noble's daughter by the name of Der Ling.
Carl Crow's The Long Road Back to China: In 1939 Carl Crow - an American journalist, advertising executive and author who had lived in Shanghai for 25 years until forced out by the Japanese - travelled up the Burma Road from Rangoon to Chongqing on assignment for Liberty magazine - 'the most interesting assignment I have ever been given'.
Front Page of the Day
A different newspaper every weekday
From the Vault
Classic Danwei posts
+ The 'national' in National Day (2006.10): Xiao Feng writes about China's national flavor, national curse, national bird, national car, and so forth, Dongfang Yu writes on the true meaning of China's National Day in the age of angry youth. + Don't ask so laowai don't have to tell (2008.07): An essay was written by Geremie Barmé, scholar, filmmaker and author of the new book The Forbidden City. + Religion and government in an uneasy mix (2008.03): Phoenix Weekly (凤凰周刊) article from October, 2007, on government influence on religious practice in Tibet.
Danwei Archives
Danwei Feeds
Via Feedsky
or Feedburner |





