China-Executions

 BC-China - Executions  campaign SHANGHAI, China  _ Authorities in south China executed five  men following public sentencings where nearly 200 convicted criminals were  displayed before crowds of thousands, a court official said Thursday .

 In all, 180 people received prison terms of up to life in a busy day of  sentencing Wednesday by courts in Guangzhou, said an official at the city's  Intermediate People's Court .

 Guangzhou is the regional capital of Guangdong province, which borders  Hong Kong .

 About 20,000 people watched the sentencings, staged to promote a  six-month-old nationwide anti-crime campaign called +Strike Hard.; Chinese  authorities believe the public displays help deter crime and demonstrate  government resolve .

 The Strike Hard campaign originally targeted violent and gangland crimes,  but has been expanded to cover nonviolent offenses as well. Thousands of  people have been executed for crimes ranging from tax evasion and  embezzlement to murder .

 Human rights campaigners and foreign governments have expressed fears  that, in the rush to convict, suspects may not be getting fair trials. China  says such concerns are unfounded .

 The five executed Wednesday were convicted of murder, said the court  official, who refused to give his name. They were shot immediately after  sentencing by Guangzhou's Intermediate People's Court, he said .

 He identified the five as: _ Sun Shigang, Zhang Bin and Zhou Yan,  executed for killing 11 taxi drivers and a motorcyclist in a string of  roadside hijackings in Guangzhou in 1999 .

 _ Huang Fennan, convicted of stabbing a man to death last year to steal  his fountain pen .

 _ Peng Xiang, convicted of killing a neighbor two years ago to steal 2,500  yuan (dlrs 300). Peng disposed of the body by throwing it down a well, the  court official said .