Japanese Man Executed for Drug Trafficking, Chinese Reactions

From NetEase:

Death Sentence Carried Out for Japanese Drug Smuggler in China, 5th Person in 4 Years

Global Times Consolidated Report — Japan‘s NHK television channel reported on July 25th that a 50-year-old Japanese man sentenced to death for trafficking narcotics in Dalian, China was executed in China on the morning of the 25th. According to reports, this is the fifth time China has executed a Japanese person since 2010 April.

The report says the executed Japanese person had conspired with another Japanese man, attempting to smuggle drugs out from Dalian, China and into Japan. Chinese judicial organs gave him the death sentence for this. According to disclosures by relevant Japanese government figures, the Dalian Office of the Shenyang Japanese Consulate General received word from the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court informing them that “this Japanese national death row criminal has been executed at Dalian Prison”.

The report says there have already been four Japanese people who have been put to death in Dalian and Shenyang of China since 2010 April, and this is the fifth execution by Chinese authorities since the normalization of relations between China and Japan in 1972.

NHK reported that in regards to this execution, the Dalian Intermediate People’s Court had notified the Dalian Office of the Japanese Consulate earlier this month, indicating that it would carry out the death penalty on a Japanese drug trafficker. The Japanese government, from the angle of protecting Japanese citizens, had gone through the Japanese Consulate in Beijing to convey to Chinese authorities its desire that “the death sentence will not be carried out”. According to information from relevant figures, this death row criminal had recently obtained permission to meet with family on the 24th.

2010 April, the Chinese judicial department carried out the death sentence against Japanese national Mitsunobu Akano, becoming the first Japanese person to have his death sentence carried out by China since the normalization of relations between China and Japan in 1972. 2006 mid-September, Mitsunobu Akano was arrested in Dalian. According to media reports at the time, Mitsunobu Akano had participated in drug smuggling multiple times in Japan. 2006 April, he frequently crossed China’s border, attracting the scrutiny of Chinese police. Including this man, a total of four Japanese persons have been executed. In recent years, there have been a succession of cases involving Japanese people smuggling drugs. In 2008, Japan and China ratified “The Treaty on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters”, but China and Japan at present still do not have a “Criminal Extradition Treaty”.

China takes a strict stance against drug trafficking, with the highest punishment being the death penalty, making no exceptions even for foreigners. However, under this kind of situation, some people still take the risk. 2013 October 31, Japanese Aichi Municipal Assembly member Takuma Sakuragi was arrested by Chinese public security organs at Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport for smuggling narcotics. Japan’s Foreign Ministry also recognized that drug trafficking is a serious crime under China’s “Criminal Law”, and so Takuma Sakuragi faced a maximum punishment of being given the death penalty.

Comments from NetEase:

yewj2000 [网易广东省广州市网友]：

It isn’t necessary to emphasize that it was a Japanese person. When it comes to drug trafficking, the person should be killed regardless of where they are from.

老纳是撸奶之王 [网易四川省成都市网友]： (responding to above)

Emphasizing that it is a Japanese person is to show that Japanese people have been bad all along and thus should be killed.

网易广东省佛山市手机网友 ip：121.9.*.* (responding to above)

Second floor [referring to above commenter] truly is retarded. It doesn’t matter what country a person is from, as long as they smuggle drugs, they should be given the death sentence.

natoaf [网易日本网友]：

This has nothing to do with relations and ideological differences between countries… Drug traffickers must be put to death.

网易北京市手机网友 ip：115.100.*.*

I think there should be discrimination in how this is handled, where those smuggling drugs into China should be killed, while keeping one eye open and one eye closed when it comes to those smuggling drugs from China to Japan. 😄

网易广东省手机网友 ip：122.13.*.* (responding to above)

I think with China being so strong and powerful, its people should all produce and sell drugs without using them, and sell the drugs around the world for world domination! Hahahaha!

日本省省委书记 [网易广西南宁市网友]：

The death of Japanese devils deserve no sympathy.

jy11120 [网易日本手机网友]：

There’s no need to bring up nationality because this has nothing to do with nationality. Every country has its own laws. If you clearly know you risk the death penalty and you still break the law, it just means you did so knowingly [intentional crime], and there’s nothing more to say. We can only hope that all people are equal before the law.

网易重庆市手机网友 ip：113.205.*.*

Good! I look forward to Abe also being put to death!

liaoyu72 [网易重庆市网友]：

Support.