China executes allegedly mentally ill Briton for drug traficking

[Caliga]

When a person is described as "British" and his name is "Akmal", I get a chuckle. 

[The Brain]

Even Lord British wasn't really British.

[Martinus]

Even Lord British wasn't really British.

He was some guy.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Yes, it is much easier to be "British" than to qualify as English or Scottish. I would say it is more of a cultural matter whereas being "English" or whatever is more a matter of blood. One potential problem if the various nationalists get their way is that the useful supranational category of British will be lost.

[Slargos]

I don't get it at all - "Briton" is a clearly national (as in "citizenship") term unlike, say, Englishman or a Scotsman.

You have a point, which I will have to concede. 

[The Larch]

Gupta hasn't absorbed British culture. He's positively tribal.

I didn't know that Charlton supporters were that bad. 

[HisMajestyBOB]

Even Lord British wasn't really British.

  My world is shattered

[DisturbedPervert]

I would say it is more of a cultural matter whereas being "English" or whatever is more a matter of blood.

Is this guy British in a cultural sense or a legal one?

[DisturbedPervert]

Even Lord British wasn't really British.

I remember when he got murdered in Ultima Online

[Richard Hakluyt]

I would say it is more of a cultural matter whereas being "English" or whatever is more a matter of blood.

Is this guy British in a cultural sense or a legal one?

I've no idea, haven't met him 

Note that his daughter has an English surname however, that's the only indication of how assimilated he may have been that I can see in the story.

[Martinus]

Chinese culture view mental illness very differently than western culture.  Mental problems are seldom accepted as excuse for anything, especially in the courts.  You are either crazy, in which case you should be locked up, or you are normal.

Well, yeah, whatever. your culture is a despicable, abominable collection of superstitions and outright barbarism. I frankly don't care anymore about your "cultural differences" excuses, whether it comes to some mundane mind-boggling pettiness (like your attitudes to money, or appearances) or barbarisms like eating endangered species or executing mentally ill people.

The only proper response to your culture is to condemn it wholeheartedly and hope it will follow in the footsteps of, say, Aztecs, and end up on the dumpster of history.

[DGuller]

Chinese culture view mental illness very differently than western culture.  Mental problems are seldom accepted as excuse for anything, especially in the courts.  You are either crazy, in which case you should be locked up, or you are normal.

Well, yeah, whatever. your culture is a despicable, abominable collection of superstitions and outright barbarism. I frankly don't care anymore about your "cultural differences" excuses, whether it comes to some mundane mind-boggling pettiness (like your attitudes to money, or appearances) or barbarisms like eating endangered species or executing mentally ill people.

The only proper response to your culture is to condemn it wholeheartedly and hope it will follow in the footsteps of, say, Aztecs, and end up on the dumpster of history.

Wow, Marty, I never knew you could be so bitchy.

[Neil]

As it should be.  Being mentally ill does not absolve you of a crime.

[Caliga]

I am a little concerned that China would execute people for drug trafficking (and yes I know Singapore and some other countries use capital punishment in these cases as well), but I don't give a rat's ass that he was mentally ill or whatever.  Everyone that is convicted of murder and eligible for the death penalty over here magically becomes either mentally ill or profoundly retarded, too.

[Josquius]

I love how they're ranting 'mentally ill' when all he maybe has is bipolarity.
About 5% of the country has that but we don't bitch about it. It'd be nice if it could get me out of things but alas it can't.

I knew from the start of coverage on this China would do it. Prboally see it as prestige and showing the west they can't be pushed around, no doubt they were muttering to each other that this was the Brits pretending it was still the 19th century where they could try their own citizens.