US criticised China over death penalty for SARS quarantine violations

WASHINGTON  - The United States told China that new laws which include the death penalty for quarantine violations would not significantly check the spread of SARS  and would further stigmatise victims.

"While China faces a stiff challenge in controlling the spread of SARS, measures being reported like the death penalty would not substantially reduce the overall risk," said Tara Rigler, a State Department spokeswoman.

Such potential punishments "would increase fear and discrimination against SARS victims and further tarnish China's image internationally," she said.

"We have long noted that China's use of the death penalty for a range of non-violent criminal activities far exceeds practices in any other country."

International human rights groups and health experts earlier also criticised the laws.

China covered up the extent of the epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that originated in the country in November before coming clean on April 20.

Since then the number of deaths has raced to 275, including four more Friday, and the cumulative number of cases is 5,191, including 39 Friday, the lowest since April 20.

Local governments have not only quarantined people who had or are suspected of having the disease and those who had contact with infected people but are also isolating those who come from an infected city.

Some people have avoided quarantine and have been sought by police.

State media reported the harsh penalties according to an interpretation of the law, issued by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

"Intentionally spreading sudden contagious disease pathogens that endangers public security or leads to serious personal injury, death or heavy loss of public or private property will be punishable by 10 years to life imprisonment or the death penalty," Xinhua news agency said of the ruling.

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International said in a report last month that two-thirds of the more than 1,500 people executed around the world last year were in China.