Residents in a community in Chengdu, Sichuan province recently sparked a controversy in response to the unusual — and some say extreme — punishment they inflicted on a suspected thief.

Knives and access cards to several different residential communities were found in the wallet of the thief caught by security guards in the complex. Angry residents then hung a board with the word "thief" around his neck and forced him to get down on his knees in front of the crowd. They wanted him to serve as a warning to other thieves. Some onlookers even beat his back in the chaos.

One resident, surnamed Lin, held that the thief deserved to be treated this way since his actions were abhorrent. Another resident, surnamed Yang, believed that the punishment insulted the suspect, and they should have let police handle the case.

He Bing, Vice-President of the Law School of China University of Political Science and Law, said that it was inappropriate to hang the board around the man's neck. Another expert added that every person, even a criminal, should enjoy individual rights.