Chinese actor and singer Jaycee Chan was arrested for marijuana consumption and possession in Beijing Monday. The son of Jackie Chan, he could face up to three years in prison or, at worst, even execution if convicted.
Last night, China Central Television (CCTV) reported that Beijing police had arrested 32-year-old Jaycee Chan, real name Fang Zuming, and Taiwanese actor Ko Chen-tung. Both tested positive for marijuana consumption. The younger Chan was also caught with over 100 grams of marijuana in his Beijing home. Jaycee Chan, best known in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland for film roles in Mulan and 2 Young, joined the Chinese entertainment industry in the 2000s. His arrest is the highest profile drug bust in recent history.
Both younger Chan and Ko can and probably will be charged and punished for drug consumption. It’s implied that consumption carries a lesser punishment compared to possession. A police statement, however, says that younger Chan is currently held for suspicions of harbouring suspected drug users. Younger Chan may face anywhere from mandatory rehab to three years in prison for the hundred grams of marijuana police found. During CCTV‘s broadcast they mention that the Younger Chan can face other charges including selling drugs. Drug dealing in China is technically an executable offence.
China has executed convicts over drug related offenses in the past. China doesn’t release individual data over the amounts drugs they were carrying. Traditionally, China executes drug offenders on the UN’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. According to AFP, China executed six people in 2010 over drug dealing related cases.
The South China Morning Post reports that action star Jackie Chan has landed in Beijing to help his son.
Jackie Chan is a current member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, part of China’s legislative body. He’s also an anti-drugs spokesperson in China, a position he’s held since 2009. Jackie Chan maintains several business and investment ventures within the Chinese mainland and has several ties to the ruling communist party. The father and son duo are featured prominently in many advertisements across the Chinese speaking regions, including Singapore and Malaysia.
Over the course of the last two months, over 7800 people were caught in Beijing alone for drug related offences. Since November 2013, China has been on an anti-corruption campaign led by President Xi Jinping. The country has also cracked down on prostitution.
It will be interesting to see what kind of influence Jackie Chan can pull out to save his son from a lengthy prison stay. But even with his celebrity and political power, don’t expect his son to get off totally scot-free amid this crackdown.
Photos: Sina weibo, JackieChan.com
Jackie Chan’s son Jaycee arrested in Beijing drug bust with Taiwanese actor Kai Ko [SCMP]
Jackie Chan’s Son Becomes Unwitting Star in China’s Anti-Drug Campaign [Wall Street Journal]
Jackie Chan’s son detained on drug charges [Xinhua]
柯震东房祖名吸毒被抓 房住所缴获百余克大麻 [Xinhua Chinese]
Comments
24 responses to “Arrested For Marijuana, Jackie Chan’s Son Could Face Execution”
China…
1] “at worst” – nothing like a sensational title to induce that click
2] so what if he was executed… this is just like all thoses morons that complain about “hidden” speed cameras. Everyone in Australia knows the speed limit is 60, and has been been for a very long time. Why do they complain when they are caught speeding? Does it really matter how they are caught?
Either you speed or you don’t – it’s not rocket science.
3] Everone knows [or should] about the very severe penalties in Asia for drug offences. Even if they are offspring of a “personalty”! If they can’t do the time then why do they commit the crime?
If he paid more attention to his dad he could have kung-fu fought his way from being caught. 😛
Smoke weed every day.
Everyone knows famous people only get a slap on the wrist.
Good lord, China is terrifying. I mean, I don’t do drugs, never have, I don’t care for what they do to people, but I truly do not believe that marijuana is something to be executed for. I mean, wasn’t it just some twist of fate hundreds of years ago that led to people smoking it rather than drinking it like every other plant? Crazy.
Jailing (or worse) people who smoke or sell pot has equal validity to jailing people for picking their nose.
or chewing chewing gum
You, sir, have crossed the line! I sentence you to over30yearsofhardlabour.
i love that in China there national news is called CCTV…. that’s definitely saying something.
Death penalty for smoking weed? Yep, perfectly reasonable China. Wonder if Clive will jump on this as justification?
Smoking marijuana doesn’t carry the death penalty in China. As the article says, dealing drugs may potentially carry the death penalty. This is fairly common throughout Asian countries.
I hope he doesn’t “Jump” on it :P.
Yep… that’s a sensible reaction to what barely amounts to an offence… :S
I won’t be surprised if Jackie Chan can get his son off pretty easily. It is extremely well known to Chinese that he is not the happy-go-lucky guy we see in movies and hangs around gangs. The fact that he is their anti-drug spokesmen is hilarious and shows how weak their system is.
So aside from the minor sensationalist spin on the article, the fact is that this is China, they have different laws there, they are enforced their own way and who are we to judge. The citizens know the rules yet insist on breaking them and as such are punished accordingly. It is no different from these dipshits who keep bringing drugs into Bali and then getting outraged over them being subject to the law of Bali. You book a trip to Bali and it is in black and white everywhere that drugs = death there, you get on the plane, the message is repeated, you get off the plane, you receive the message again.
I have no sympathy for people who know the rules, know the punishments and yet wind up executed for breaking them.
Why do people believe anyone cares about their sympathy? Anyone saying they don’t have sympathy for whatever reason is usually just spouting some sort heirarchical rhetoric of “others” (or whoever doesn’t fit your rigid moral code) being worse than they are.
You or someone else made this argument before and it’s easily debunked. Public opinion (eg. sympathy) matters when you’re trying to gather support for a cause, or when your career is based on public support (eg. celebrities). Jaycee Chan is the latter, it adversely affects his career when public opinion turns against him.
Sympathy gets sentences reduced or pardoned. Sympathy gets attention to issues that otherwise wouldn’t have. Sympathy puts pressure on decision makers to question the validity of their decisions. Sympathy is a powerful resource, and plenty of people care about it.
Perhaps I needed to make my argument a little more succinct.
Not agreeing with the rules doesn’t give you leave to break them
What was Clive Palmer saying about the Chinese again? Oh that’s right
How ironic.
Jackie Chan is Chinas’ anti-drugs spokesperson,and his son smokes weed.
Marijuana is not what i’d call a “hardcore” drug like that of cocaine and heroin and should not carry the death penalty but rather, jail time.
Why should someone who smokes weed to to jail?
Because it’s the devils plant and makes white women sleep with coloured men.
So… you think ‘hardcore’ drug use *should* carry the death penalty?