China: Cult crimes to be harshly punished

[webfact]

Cult crimes to be harshly punished
Zhang YanChina Daily/Asia News Network

CHINA: -- China will impose more severe punishments on organisations defined as cults and cult-related crimes, according to a draft amendment to the Criminal Law delivered to the country's top legislature for review on Monday.

Under the amendment, if a person organises or makes use of a religious institution or cult organisation, or spreads superstitions to undermine national laws or regulations, he or she will face a prison term of three to seven years and fines. The amendment was delivered for its first reading during the current bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

In addition, it says, if the circumstances are serious, such as acts resulting in a mass incident or causing the death or serious injury of others, suspects will be subject to sentences ranging from seven years to death.

At present, China has no specific law relating to cult organisations, and the criminal law doesn't clearly define cult crimes or provide sentencing standards based on different circumstances.

"If the revised law comes into force, it will provide a formal legal basis for judicial organs to prosecute and handle cult-related crimes," Li Shishi, director of the NPC Standing Committee's Legal Affairs Commission, said on Monday.

Full story: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/cult-crimes-be-harshly-punished

-- asiaone 2014-10-28

[toooa]

I wonder how broad that definition will be..... all this authority is giving me a woody...

[Lupatria]

if a person organises or makes use of a religious institution or cult organisation, or spreads superstitions...

This applied to LOS and no one would have a problem with overcrowded MRT or finding a parking spot.

[graham66]

In better understanding this article, it may be helpful to know something of the rhetoric used here in The Middle Kingdom concerning crime and punishment. Basically, punishment is rather elastic but you can assess the attitude of the authorities and the level of punishment about to be meted out according to one of three levels of qualification:

1) Punished according to the law - whatever the going tariff is according to the statutes, with some regard to the circumstances of the crime

2) Punished severely - no leniency in sentencing, little chance of parole

3) Punished harshly - throw the book and add some, then some more for good measure and make it all very public; usually reserved for crimes that give rise to public anger and those that directly and violently challenge the State

These cults (and who they choose to brand with that title is anyone's guess), are in for a hammering.

[tw25rw]

Not much to like about the Chinese regime, but the way they seek to keep religions in their box is a good thing.

[Mosha]

They're dead.

[Publicus]

This matter of so called cults and superstition is waaay down on the list of the concerns of the PRChinese people.

I'ts much more a matter of command and control by the CCP of people they don't like, which is not everyone, but it does include many categories of the PRChinese to include the few overly spiritual types that are ignored by the busy PRChinese. .

This is a part of the new repression by Xi Jinping to eliminate his political rivals and personal enemies.

Xi is vastly unpopular among the PRChinese people because his compulsions for absolute command has been his almost exclusive focus instead of finding ways to make housing affordable to the ordinary PRChinese or to deal with the grotesque pollution and destruction of the people's air, water, soil.

[hawker9000]

Not much to like about the Chinese regime, but the way they seek to keep religions in their box is a good thing.

Yes, harsh punishment and even the death penalty for religious believers. What a wonderful thing! Maybe they'll find "boxes" for other people, too. Yippee!

OTOH, this is why I don't believe the Chinese govt is going to have much of a muslim terrorist problem. The inevitable put-down isn't a gentle one...

[tw25rw]

Not much to like about the Chinese regime, but the way they seek to keep religions in their box is a good thing.

Yes, harsh punishment and even the death penalty for religious believers. What a wonderful thing! Maybe they'll find "boxes" for other people, too. Yippee!

No, just the religious types. No need to victimise people unfairly.