"In China, no verdict is a wrong verdict"

This is another dark, ignominious chapter of China's legal system.

Xinhua News Agency announced yesterday that jailed tainted-milk activist Zhao Lianhai will be released on medical parole. This happened just hours after he sacked his lawyers and forfeited his appeal. The sacking was done through a note to lawyer Li Fangping, signed by Zhao and inked with a palm-sized mark. The lawyer described the move as "mysterious".

This is a development for which one doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Now Zhao no longer needs to serve the 30-month jail sentence which he never deserves. But under this development which is clearly orchestrated by the Chinese government, he remains a criminal. The Xinhua statement reaffirmed that he was guilty as charged. His innocence is the price he and his family have paid in exchange for his freedom.

As a visiting lecturer from China said, dismissing the lawyers may provide a platform for both sides to gracefully resolve the issue. He described the situation well: "In China, no verdict is a wrong verdict."

This is exactly like an extended family in feudal China. The grandfather can never be wrong.