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Kill a Communist Official? Become a Local Hero

Teenage killer has 20K supporters, gets death penalty anyway

By professortech,  Newser User

Posted Jan 22, 2010 10:54 AM CST | Promoted on Newser Jan 22, 2010 10:54 AM CST

(User Submitted) – When Li Shiming was stabbed to death, few of his fellow villagers mourned the local Communist Party official. Instead, villagers in Xiashuixi, China, made Li's teenage killer, who was paid $146 to do the deed, a local hero. More than 20,000 people from the coal-mining area petitioned a court for a lenient sentence for Zhang Xuping, the AP reports. "I didn't feel surprised at all when I heard Li Shiming was killed, because people wanted to kill him a long time ago," says a villager whose husband was harassed for years by Li. "I wanted to kill Li myself, but I was too weak."

Zhang's trial had to be postponed because the courthouse was mobbed by thousands of would-be spectators; a death sentence was quietly handed down this week. Bloggers blamed the murder on government failure to blow the whistle on officials who run their districts like personal fiefdoms. "If the authorities did not indulge Li Shiming's evil deeds, if even one of his evil deeds was punished by law, he would have avoided death under Zhang Xuping's knife," one wrote.


In this photo taken on Aug. 7, 2007, released by Zhang Xuping's family, Nineteen-year-old Zhang Xuping poses outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, Aug. 1, 2007.
In this photo taken on Aug. 7, 2007, released by Zhang Xuping's family, Nineteen-year-old Zhang Xuping poses outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, Aug. 1, 2007.   (AP Photo/Zhang Xuping's Family)
In this photo taken on Aug. 7, 2007, released by Zhang Xuping's family, 19-year-old Zhang Xuping poses for photos outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
In this photo taken on Aug. 7, 2007, released by Zhang Xuping's family, 19-year-old Zhang Xuping poses for photos outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.   (AP Photo/Zhang Xuping's family)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 11 comments
Spudsy
Jan 24, 2010 7:36 AM CST
And we aren't even getting money for it. We're selling our country for cheap clothes at Walmart. Sick.
bleepbleep61
Jan 24, 2010 3:43 AM CST
One of the lines we used while marching was "Kill a Commie for Mommy" McplBA
passinthru
Jan 23, 2010 8:36 AM CST
jesus...these are the people that are buying our country out from under us...

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