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China executes dozens ahead of Congress
Staff and wires
HONG KONG, China -- China has executed 46 people in two days, ahead of the 16th Communist Party Congress, human rights group Amnesty International has said. Last week 29 people were executed in Chongqing province and on Hainan island. Two days later 17 were executed in Henan province, Amnesty International said in a press statement. "China continues to go against the worldwide trend towards abolition of the death penalty," Amnesty commented. Earlier this week 36 gang members were sentenced to death or prison in the northeastern city of Changchun for murder and other crimes, state media Xinhua reported according to Reuters news agency. In the lead up to Friday's opening of the Communist Party Congress, which is held once every five years, strict controls have been placed on the media, along with tighter regulations controlling internet usage. Minister of Public Security Jia Chunwang has called upon police units in the provinces and cities to raise their guard against anti-government activities and other mishaps. Death sentencesAt the same time, the media has been asked not to report -- or at least to play down -- news considered "socially destabilizing". Fighting increasing crime has been a focus for the communist government, and its so-called "Strike Hard" campaign against crime is said to have contributed to an increase in executions. Amnesty claims over 4000 death sentences have been handed down since China introduced the "Strike Hard" campaign in April 2001, while 2,468 people have been executed. However, the group has stressed obtaining accurate figures is difficult. Since 1990, China has executed some 20,000 people. Many of those condemned to death in China may have been tortured to extract a confession and speed up the trial procedure, Amnesty claims. Prisoners are sentenced in front of crowds reportedly as large as two million people, before being paraded through the streets to firing squads in nearby fields or courtyards, according to Chinese media reports. The most common form of execution in China is a shot to the back of the head. However, earlier this year the government announced that it was looking to expand use of lethal injection as a more "humane" method. Reuters contributed to this report.
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