Ending injustice
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Fifty-eight-year-old Zhao Zuohai has received 650,000 yuan as compensation from the State for the 11 years he spent in prison on a clearly, wrongful conviction.
Those responsible for the injustice are reportedly under investigation.
Normally, this would be the end of the story - the wronged man is certified innocent, and the bad guys quite likely to end up where the victim once was.
Yet, Zhao does not seem to want the issue to rest there. He is seeking more compensation, not simply because the amount received is insufficient to build a home for himself and his children. Zhao says it is too little compensation for what he and his family went through during his long years behind bars.
There is a law regulating standards of State compensation. Whether 650,000 yuan is the appropriate amount or not is debatable. Yet, we believe Zhao deserves better justice, if not further compensation, in order to ensure that local officials and the judiciary in particular, seriously reflect on his unlawful incarceration. Otherwise, history may just repeat itself.
Even after tasting freedom for more than a week, Zhao says it looks like he is living a dream - his absurd conviction and release from jail seem surreal not only to himself, but also to most of us.
Zhao must now see life with new eyes and start enjoying its little comforts. The introspection, on the other hand, should be left to those who denied him justice.
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