China Mike’s 100% verified, no B.S. China facts (interesting & fun statistics):
China facts: CRIME & PUNISHMENT
In ancient China, the “Five Punishments” for criminals were tattooing the face or forehead, cutting off the nose, amputation of one or both feet, castration, and death. It later evolved to become whipping with bamboo strips, flogging with a stick, penal servitude, banishment, and death.
[ Wikipedia “Five Punishments” ]
The Five Punishments for women were less severe: grinding grain, squeezing of the fingers between sticks, beating, confinement, and “permission” to commit suicide.
[ Wikipedia “Five Punishments” ]
According to traditional law, Chinese husbands committed of adultery were punished with castration. Women were punished with confinement.
[ Wikipedia “Traditional Chinese Law” ]
Homosexuality was illegal in China until 1997 and classified as a mental disorder until 2001.
[ Wikipedia “LGBT rights by country or territory”; BBC News “Being gay in China: Your stories” Jan. 26, 2010 ]
China facts: HUMAN RIGHTS
Today, China is the world’s top executioner…executing more people than the rest of the world combined. In 2008, China had executed at least 1,718 people, which represent nearly three-quarters of the 2,390 executions around the world.
[ Amnesty International; The New York Times, “China Said to Execute Thousands in ’09” March 30, 2010 ]
In 2007, 88% of all known executions took place in five countries: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the USA.
[ Amnesty International “Secrecy surrounds death penalty” April 2008 ]
In 1997, the Chinese government developed “mobile execution units” to execute criminals via lethal injection. However, the majority of executions in China are still by firing squad.
[ USA Today, “China makes ultimate punishment mobile” June 15, 2006; Wikipedia “Execution van” ]
Facts about China: SUICIDES
Suicides in China account for 26% of all suicides worldwide.
[WHO 2009 report “Women and health” ]
Suicide is the leading cause of death for people aged between 15 and 34 in China. A two-year survey by researchers at Peking University found over 20% of 140,000 high-school students interviewed had considered committing suicide. 6.5% of the students surveyed said they had made plans to kill themselves.
[ China Daily “China’s suicide rate among world’s highest” Sept. 11, 2009 ]
China is the only country in the world where more women commit suicide than men, according to World Health Organization statistics. Women in China have a 25% higher rate than men.
[ BBC News “Traditions weigh on China’s women” June 19, 2006; The Lancet (British medical journal) March 2002 report by Michael Phillips, executive director of the WHO Suicide Prevention Center in Beijing ]
One woman kills herself every four minutes in China. Every year, 1.5 million Chinese women attempt suicide, with another 150,000 succeed in taking their own lives.
[ BBC News “Traditions weigh on China’s women” June 19, 2006 ]
Suicide is the leading cause of death for young women in China.
[WHO 2009 report “Women and health” ]
China’s suicide rate is two to five times higher in rural areas than in the cities.
[WHO 2009 report “Women and health” ]
About 60% of suicides in China are committed by ingesting pesticides, which are readily available to rural women who experience higher rates of social isolation as well as heavier family burdens to take care of their in-laws.
[ 2009 WHO report ]
Rural women in China often have a “crushing double burden of work” where they “carry not only the burden of maintaining a household and raising a family, often under the critical gaze of their neighbours, but must also work full-time to survive.”
[WHO 2009 report “Women and health” ]
An estimated 70-80% of rural suicides are attributed to marital conflicts. In rural China—where traditional attitudes about marriage still prevail—“many marriages are arranged and operate like business deals in which the groom’s parents ‘buy’ the bride, and she becomes part of their family….which leads to emotional problems for young wives who leave their own family and friends to enter an alien environment.”
[ BBC News “Traditions weigh on China’s women” June 19, 2006 ]
According to a traditional saying among rural men, “Marrying a woman is like buying a horse: I can ride you and beat you whenever I like,” according to Xu Rong, head of the Beijing’s Suicide Prevention Project. She explained that (rural wives) “have their father-in-law to deal with, their mother-in-law, various uncles, sisters-in-law and so on. She’s got to gain everyone’s acceptance. When there are conflicts, she’s the weakest…. If a woman goes to live with her husband’s family and they treat her well, or if she’s found someone who loves and respects her, she’ll be all right. If not, things will be very difficult for her.”
[ BBC News “Traditions weigh on China’s women” June 19, 2006 ]
There’s a traditional Chinese saying that there are three solutions to a woman’s problems: “One – to cry; two – to scream; and three – to hang herself”.
[WHO 2009 report “Women and health” ]
Q: China’s skyrocketing divorce rate is now one in every X marriages? Find out in China facts: WOMEN, MARRIAGE, DIVORCE, & BRIDE KIDNAPPING
NEXT: China Facts: WOMEN, MARRIAGE , DIVORCE & BRIDE-KIDNAPPING >>
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