Fujian man detained for endangering public safety after opening a gas cylinder to kill himself

At about 11 a.m. on 3 January a man, Wang, opened a gas supply in a rented room in Fengcheng township, Anxi county, Fujian, intending to kill himself. On receiving the report, officers of the Fengcheng police station of the Anxi public security bureau went to the scene at once. Facing the officers who came to talk him round, Wang had lost his reason, refused to communicate with anyone and threatened to ignite the gas cylinder and die together with everyone present. The rented room stands among ordinary homes, with a petrol station not far away. Had the cylinder actually been ignited inside the closed bedroom, the consequences are hard to imagine. Fortunately, experienced members of the special police unit and the officers at the scene worked steadily and succeeded in subduing Wang and ending the crisis.

The investigation established that Wang, a native of Gande township in Anxi county, had no regular employment and, under heavy family financial pressure and burdened with debt, had wanted to end his life as a way out. The Anxi police have taken him into custody and the case is under further investigation.

There are many ways to take one's own life, but igniting a liquefied gas cylinder may cause serious consequences and endanger public safety. The offence of endangering public safety by dangerous means consists of deliberately using a dangerous method other than arson, breaching a dike, explosion or poisoning, and one of comparable danger, that is enough to endanger public safety. Conduct such as Wang's was very likely to injure people living nearby and might even have set off an explosion at the petrol station, so it infringed public safety and constitutes the offence of endangering public safety by dangerous means, which is punishable.

Under Articles 114 and 115 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, a person who sets fire, breaches a dike, causes an explosion, releases toxic, radioactive or infectious disease pathogen material or other substances, or uses other dangerous means to endanger public safety, where no serious consequences have yet resulted, is liable to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than ten years; where serious injury or death is caused, or public or private property suffers heavy loss, to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years, life imprisonment or death.

Chinese criminal law contains no provision criminalising a person who commits suicide, so suicide itself is not an offence, being a disposal of one's own right to life. Where, however, the act of suicide infringes the personal or property rights of others or endangers public safety, it may be unlawful and, in serious cases, criminal. Igniting a gas cylinder, as in this case, setting oneself alight and burning down a building, throwing oneself under a train or touching a high-voltage line may all constitute the corresponding offences of arson, endangering transport facilities and the like. Suicide in a public place such as a square, causing crowds to gather, disorder or loss to the public, is dealt with under the Regulations on Penalties for Administration of Public Security. In such cases, if the person actually dies, no legal liability is pursued; if the person survives, liability is still pursued according to law, and where an offence is constituted, criminal liability follows.

Life is precious and suicide is no answer. Suicide that endangers others or public safety is worse still. The case not long ago in which a man jumped to his death and killed two upper secondary school students beneath him is still fresh, and leaves both regret and fear. Happily, this case of self-immolation by gas was resolved properly; otherwise the consequences are hard to imagine.

Life today carries great pressure, and anyone may reach a dead end or a difficult patch. Where a person appears to be contemplating suicide, the public should report it promptly so that the police and the relevant psychological professionals can intervene in time, giving that person more support and human concern; and no one should ever encourage another to take their own life.

A warning is also due to those with ulterior motives who, wanting to become internet celebrities, stage a "suicide show" in a public place: that too may be unlawful and criminal, and conduct of this kind will certainly be dealt with according to law. A case reported in 2018 is instructive. At the evening peak on 8 February 2018, a 33-year-old man named Yao appeared at a station on Wuhan Metro Line 1 intending to jump onto the track and kill himself. His conduct cut the power and stopped Line 1 for more than 40 minutes, stranded about 300,000 passengers at 32 stations along the line and six interchange stations, and caused severe congestion of vehicles within two kilometres of the street below Youyi Road station, paralysing traffic for a time. The prosecution held that in attempting to jump onto the track Yao had seriously disrupted public order and that his conduct constituted the offence of picking quarrels and provoking trouble. The court convicted him and sentenced him to one year and six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Readers are therefore urged to value life and the people around them, and never to do anything so self-destructive and harmful to others as attempting suicide.