China becomes more civilised

[pecunium]

Which is to say it has banned the use of torture by its police forces.

China bans evidence gained from torture

One of the things which finally made it happen was a man who had confessed to a murder. Eleven years after the fact the victim turned up, alive.

Comments

[sylphslider.livejournal.com]

Oh hooray!

I saw information about how Chinese police were trained in methods of torture and execution and it has been hard for me to even look at an image of a chinese police officer since then. I say a lot of crap about our police, but the Chinese police ... eek.

[supergee.livejournal.com]

About time. Blogging this; thanx.

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

I recently heard forensic pathologist Henry Lee talk about having been a police officer in China in his youth, and he mentioned the use of torture. Funny synchronicity, that, and I bet the news has made him glad.

[wetdryvac.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping that holds. Glad to see it go through.

[bifemmefatale.livejournal.com]

Alas, I suspect many of the officers will continue to torture anyway--just look at Chicago cops. Once people are trained to believe something like that is acceptable, it takes a long time to root out of an organization's culture. But it's a bit of progress.

[warclaw.livejournal.com]

but do we believe it to be a real effort to change, or a whitewash effort to deflect public/international opinion/backlash?

Will this lead to an actual change in procedure, or will it just limit the more blatant examples?

I guess only time will tell. I hope its real....but alas I fear it is not.

[baron-elric.livejournal.com]

But...but...our Infallible Republican Leaders have told us that torture provides infallibly accurate results!

Lousy communist hippo pinkies trying to mess us up!

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

Yes, China seems to be trying to bring its Image up to the standards of the civilized Western world -- or maybe to exceed them. But I'm wondering where the Chinese stand on Enhanced Interrogation.

As one of my Professors at U.C. put it, the (written) Chinese language does not lend itself to quibbling over the meanings of words. He used that in the context of explaining that Chinese culture does not have formal Philosophy, in our Greek sense [that quibbling over the meanings of words is the major basis of our Philosophical Discussions seems obvious once it's pointed out], but I think it applies equally well to our recent development of using PR words/propaganda to make things seem better than they are.

[harimad.livejournal.com]

I'll believe it when I see it in practice, over the years.