Chinese law - violent offense

[pukulan]

I have a question about some laws in China concerning violence, or maybe more about how they would be enforced in practice.

The situation is, I have an American friend here in China who ran into some problems with a group of Brits that teach here. It was just a stupid bar fight, he cursed at some girls for being rude after he bought them a drink and the Brits were in the mood for a fight. They ganged up on him and beat his face pretty badly, his eye was swollen shut and completely black.

Maybe I could ask what would happen if he'd go to the police and fill in a report, but I already know that probably wouldn't have any effect. It's not a big place and the local police have strong ties with that group's school. From what I've heard they get away with worse.

But the American guy has a violent temper and he seems pretty bent on getting back at them. He doesn't live here and he said he'd beat some of them up and then never come back. I'm trying to talk him out of it.. he's usually very friendly, but he has a crazy temper.

I tell him if he seriously hurt someone, like break something, he could go to jail or even get kicked out of the country and since they know his name through a school, they could find him easily wherever he goes.

But I'm actually not sure whether that's true and how the Chinese police would deal with a situation like this.. both in theory and in practice. For example, are there any special laws that apply only to foreigners? Would the police bother trying to find him and would a violent offense actually land you in prison or get you kicked out of the country?

Maybe I can talk some sense into him.. If you think the police wouldn't bother I guess I shouldn't tell him that, though.

I can't really guess myself. On the one hand the police seem rather lax, on the other I can imagine them to be pretty zealous about some things. What is the status for foreigners here anyway, do all the same rules apply to foreign people? And are they enforced in the same way or maybe even more rigidly? I don't get how this group of Brits gets away with causing so much trouble, I'd imagine the police being more active in keeping foreigners in check, but then again it is a small town.

Thanks

[HarryCallahan]

I haven't been in the english teaching scene but I don't think it's typical of them to have alliances with police officers, I wouldn't have thought police would consider any english teacher worthy of special attention, not of the desirable kind. There is a bit of lawlessness out in the remoter areas of the country, perhaps even in the cities too in some respects. I would have thought the same rules (or lack of) will apply to each person. If he was a mostly innocent victim of a cowardly mob then perhaps you should let him pick them off on his own terms, or help him. In such a legal situation I can see Chinese language ability going along way to helping yourself get out of the mess. You're right that the school may have some clout with the police though.

[stoney]

Sorry about your friend . Police anywhere in the world will usually ignore bar fights.

[tortue]

I've not been hanging out here for a long time, but as far as I can see this is probably the best known chinese forum in english language, so I'd say there is a good chance that at least one of 'several british language teachers' located in China hang out here too and have read your thread.

I suggest the best thing to do is to try hard to convince your friend to calm down and let it be before things get even worse.

[pukulan]

I'm quite sure none of them comes to this forum. I don't know how they ended up in China but they're pretty much the English hooligan type and they don't seem very interested in Chinese culture or language.