Sept. 13 CHINA: Drug dealers face death penalty Guangdong High People's Court recently ruled on a smuggling case involving about 380 kilograms of heroin, according to the Guangzhou Huangpu Customs Office yesterday. The case is said to be the largest heroin smuggling case solved by customs in China since 1949. In the final judgment, the court sentenced three criminals to death. Another 2 were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve and one given life imprisonment. The remaining 10 received prison sentences ranging from 2 to 15 years. They were sentenced for crimes such as smuggling, selling, and producing drugs. Other crimes included illegally possessing drugs, firearms and ammunition. The court also confiscated and ordered the disposal of 375.2 kilograms of heroin and 1,948.4 kilograms of methylephedrine, which is the raw material for the drug known as ice. About 25 kilograms of other drugs were also seized as were the criminals' illegal income of over 14 million yuan (US$1.73 million) and pistols, bullets, and vehicles. A Thai drug dealer was responsible for the sourcing of the heroin and other drugs, while domestic smugglers were responsible for the transportation of the drugs into China, storage and sales in the country and moving the drug money out. According to Liao Keqiang from the Guangzhou Huangpu Customs Office, He Guoming and He Jinshui were domestic smugglers who began to conspire with the Thai drug dealer in 2001. They smuggled 375 kilograms of heroin into China between April and May 2002. In August of that year, He Jinshui also smuggled 3 pistols and over 100 bullets into China. In April 2005, He Guoming and Zeng Jianji, another dealer, smuggled about 2 tons of methylephedrine into the country, aiming to produce ice in Shenzhen. The Huangpu customs office spent many months tracing the smugglers and finally cracked the case in May 2005. Due to its geographical proximity to Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macao, Guangdong Province has long been a hotbed for drug smugglers. (source: China Daily) INDONESIA: Concern grows for 3 Catholics facing death penalty Fears are growing over the fate of 3 Catholics from Poso in Sulawesi. Who have been given death sentences. Fabianus Tibo, Marinus Riwa and Dominggus da Silva wre accused of homicide during inter-religious clashes in Poso 2000-2002. The execution was originally set for 11 August. However it was postponed after an intense campaign of awareness raising and prayer organised by the local Catholic Church which brought responses from many politicians and church leaders including an appeal from Pope Benedict XVI. The official reason for the suspension of the execution was "more time was needed to examine information and evidence". Father Patrizius Pa, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies told Fides: "The Church in Indonesia is doing all it can to save the lives of the three men. We are close to them and we want Indonesia to abolish the death penalty. Human life belongs to God the Creator it cannot be taken by man. The civil authorities agree it is important to avoid making a mistake with a hasty sentence. In many parts of the country Catholics have organised special prayers and awareness building campaigns. We have firm hope, the Lord will hear our prayer." One of the many organisations in Indonesia and other countries involved in trying to save the lives of the three men is the Rome based Sant Egidio Community which has said it hopes evidence given by new witnesses will be taken into account in view of fair judgement. Sant Egidio also hopes Indonesia will reopen the debate on the compatibility of the death sentence with the nation's guiding Pancasila principles which guarantee the right of every person to respect for life and dignity and that a moratoria on executions will be called to allow time for an in-depth debate. The local Catholic community has worked hard to increase awareness and hopes the sentence will be commuted into a life sentence. Fr Jimmy Tumbelaka, the chaplain who cares for the three men, says the people of Indonesia are against the execution and realise that it would only provoke more inter-religious clashes. The Catholic Bishop of Manado, Bishop Joseph Suwatan, welcomed the news that the execution had been suspended and called for an act of clemency - as requested also by the Pope in his letter - expressing the hope that Indonesia will abolish capital punishment. Indonesian Catholics resident in Italy have formed their own Justice and Peace Committee whose members are mainly men and women religious and seminarians in Rome for theological studies and for whom the period spent in Rome is an opportunity to share the needs of the Church in Indonesia with the universal Church. (source: Fides)
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Rick Halperin Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:29:33 -0500 (Central Daylight Time)
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin