CHINA: Wang Binyu, a Chinese migrant worker who killed four people and seriously injured another in a rage over unpaid wages, has been executed, despite a public outcry and calls for mercy.
The plight of Wang (28) struck a chord in China and he became a symbol for the powerless and downtrodden.
A worker at a construction site in Ningxia, Wang killed four people after being insulted when he tried to get long-overdue wages. According to the Legal Daily newspaper, the court overturned his appeal and he was executed after the final verdict on October 19th.
Wang's father had broken his leg and the family needed money to treat him. Wang pleaded with his boss for the 5,000 yuan (about €500) he was owed. He was working for 7.50 yuan a day - about 75 cent.
His boss sent him packing, so Wang went to the local authorities and the labour court, but nothing happened. Increasingly desperate, Wang and his younger brother called at his boss's house one night in May. The two say they were pushed, beaten and called "dogs". When his brother was slapped in the face, Wang lost his head. He stabbed his foreman and three of the foreman's family and seriously injured a colleague.
There were widespread calls from the public to spare his life, but the court said his acts were "extremely cruel" and so he did not qualify for leniency.