Blog #3 Domestic Violence in China

A land mark case in China has granted Kim Lee a divorce from her husband, Li Yang, on the grounds of domestic abuse.  Domestic abuse is a topic that is seldom discussed in China.  Kim Lee did an interview to inform what her husband did to her and pictures were provided as well.  Lee states "He sat on my back and hit my head on the floor 10 to 12 times"..."It was extreme violence.  Any type of violence is unacceptable, but it was extreme".  Instead of Yang denying the domestic abuse, he spoke publicly in interview about it.  Lee quoted in his exact words "Yes I beat her sometimes but I'd never thought she'd go to the police, because that's not what Chinese women do".  Kim Lee wanted to make sure she brought awareness to this issue for the purpose of her three daughters safety, and being raised in a safe environment, regardless of the issues around the culture by saying "no-one has a right to beat them, and no one has a right to infringe on their health or mental state. They have a right to live an equal life free of violence, and no societal cliches of 'don't air your dirty laundry in public' or 'this isn't your culture' should keep them silent".

Coming from a Western perspective, majority of society would not expect a person who committed any form of domestic abuse/violence to just come straight out, or come clean with the information and say yes they did it.  Below is a definition of domestic violence and emotional abuse with listed examples.

Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating.
Examples of abuse include:

• name-calling or putdowns
• keeping a partner from contacting their family or friends
• withholding money
• stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job
• actual or threatened physical harm
• sexual assault
• stalking
• intimidation

Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuse are not criminal behaviors, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence

Searching for information about laws against domestic abuse/violence in China, I came across this bit of information spoken by Lu Xiaoquan, director of the research department at Beijing Zhongze Women's Legal Counselling & Service Centre : "A husband abusing a wife is tolerated. It's not regarded as wrong or unacceptable, or unforgivable.
"Under this patriarchal view and the very traditional notion that you don't wash your dirty linen in public, victims won't seek legal aid on their own or find avenues for help."  This presents a bit of a preview of the power that women have when it comes to their rights and safety in China, compared to America.  Domestic violence in China is a probable cause for divorce under China's Marriage Law, however, the country does not have separate legislation that clearly defines what domestic violence is.  According to international society standards, domestic violence manifests in four ways. China only recognizes one and that is behavioral abuse which is essentially physical abuse. But globally, domestic violence also includes psychological abuse, sexual assault and financial control.  China's top law makers are now deciding weather to pass a new anti-domestic violence law, that will allow police to arrest the abusers and provided immediate help for the victims.

In class, I recall talking about Chinese marriage for a bit.  They couple may not be happy together, or show any type of love and affection, but they will not divorce.  However, when issues like this arise in any relationship, there should be action taken immediately, no matter what country it happens in.  Not doing anything about it just because women do not have the equal rights as men do, does not mean the issue should be ignored or continually overlooked.  Domestic abuse/violence can traumatize and lead to problems later on if nothing is done to prevent it, or the abusers are not stopped.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/kim-lee-domestic-violence-china_n_2662951.html
http://www.domesticviolence.org/definition/
http://www.asafeworldforwomen.org/domestic-violence/dv-china/1573-china-considers-law-against-domestic-violence.html

Tiara Paylor
2/14/13 8:51 pm