Bo Xilai

choi

(1) Andrew Jacobs, For China's Elite, Harsh Discipline For The Accused. New York Times, June 15, 2012.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/1 ... rsh-discipline.html

Quote:

"the maw of an opaque Soviet-style disciplinary machine, known as 'shuanggui,' that features physical torture and brutal, sleep-deprived interrogations. And that is exactly what appears to have happened to Bo Xilai

"By contrast, the case against his wife, Gu Kailai, is being handled as an ordinary criminal matter, according to several people who have been briefed on the investigation. On paper at least, China’s criminal justice system has far more safeguards against abuse.

"Shuanggui (pronounced shwang-gwei) is rooted in the ancient imperial justice system and was used by the Red Army to punish wayward soldiers during the civil war.   

"The secrecy [of Shuanggui], Ms [Flora] Sapio[, a visiting scholar at the Chinese University of Hong Kong,] said, is intended to shield the public from details that might harm the party’s image and to limit any collateral damage to those higher up the food chain. If history is any guide, many of the accusations against Mr. Bo are unlikely to be made public or lead to formal charges.

“It’s as if you’ve fallen into a legal black hole,” Ms Sapio said * * * The Dui Hua Foundation, an organization in San Francisco that promotes changes to the Chinese prison system, says simulated drowning, cigarette burns and beatings are common tactics for getting detainees to talk. 'The system is just Kafkaesque,' said John Kamm, the group’s executive director.

"Mr Bo made abundant use of the system in Chongqing

Note:
(a) Red Army (disambiguation)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Army_(disambiguation)
("The People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, originally known as the (Chinese) Red Army")
(b) For rendition (n), see
render (vt): "to transmit to another : DELIVER"
www.m-w.com


(2) Keith B Richburg, Risks Over Bo Xilai Case Could Prompt China to Seek Low-Profile Resolution. Washington Post, June 15, 2012.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wo ... QAdJHmeV_story.html