Dear All
The Chinese Government has executed a British man.
Almal Shaikh from London was executed for drug smuggling.
The Chinese Government are a sovereign power who allows the death penalty, but in this case, they acted too much in haste.
In international diplomacy when the representatives of a foreign power come knocking on the door asking for leniency then good manners dictate they get the favour addressed.
That is how goodwill is built up.
This execution has done tremendous damage to British/ Chinese relations and to China’s standing in the international community.
What is also awful about the trial that Akmal Shaikh was put through was that he had to provide evidence of his mental illness.
Soohail and Nasir Shaikh, who travelled to China to visit their cousin in prison said;
"We are astonished at suggestions that Akmal himself should have provided evidence of his own fragile state of mind. We find it ludicrous that any mentally-ill person should be expected to provide this."
This seems to me to indicate that the Chinese system didn’t fully take into account the health of Almal Shaikh.
The case attracted cross party support with both Gordon Brown and David Cameron deploring the execution.
The British Government Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis said that the Government had made 27 representations to China in two years.
No one was listening.
The killing of an EU National, the first in 50 years is a major setback for China and the Chinese people.
In a threat to the British people, the Chinese Government said that criticism of the case would harm UK-China relations.
What relations?
A murder has been committed, state murder of a mentally ill man.
Human Rights work is all about going the extra mile to help others in trouble.
China never went the extra mile; it didn’t take the first step.
That is China’s weakness.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
The Chinese Government has executed a British man.
Almal Shaikh from London was executed for drug smuggling.
The Chinese Government are a sovereign power who allows the death penalty, but in this case, they acted too much in haste.
In international diplomacy when the representatives of a foreign power come knocking on the door asking for leniency then good manners dictate they get the favour addressed.
That is how goodwill is built up.
This execution has done tremendous damage to British/ Chinese relations and to China’s standing in the international community.
What is also awful about the trial that Akmal Shaikh was put through was that he had to provide evidence of his mental illness.
Soohail and Nasir Shaikh, who travelled to China to visit their cousin in prison said;
"We are astonished at suggestions that Akmal himself should have provided evidence of his own fragile state of mind. We find it ludicrous that any mentally-ill person should be expected to provide this."
This seems to me to indicate that the Chinese system didn’t fully take into account the health of Almal Shaikh.
The case attracted cross party support with both Gordon Brown and David Cameron deploring the execution.
The British Government Foreign Office Minister Ivan Lewis said that the Government had made 27 representations to China in two years.
No one was listening.
The killing of an EU National, the first in 50 years is a major setback for China and the Chinese people.
In a threat to the British people, the Chinese Government said that criticism of the case would harm UK-China relations.
What relations?
A murder has been committed, state murder of a mentally ill man.
Human Rights work is all about going the extra mile to help others in trouble.
China never went the extra mile; it didn’t take the first step.
That is China’s weakness.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
2 comments:
I suspect that England needs the goodwill of China more than the other way around. I guess the Brown was hoping that China would buy up the bonds they have to sell to keep the UK on its knees.
The same government don't seem to have any problem about sending Gary McKinnon to the US despite his mental health problems.
Dear Tris
The Gary McKinnon case is a scandal.
I suspect that he won't get a fair trial either.
The UK Labour Government is so ineffective.
The Chinese Ambassador should be deported and the British Ambassador recalled.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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