
Subsequent operations.
In January 1901, the committee met to develop rules for the handling of criminal cases in Peking. They elected to dispense with any sort of international court and instead allowed each nation to conduct legal affairs in their own districts of the city. They recommended, however,
that a Chinese lawyer be present for all proceedings. Military commanders would retain the right to veto or approve death penalties, which would pertain to involvement in the Boxer movement, attacks on foreigners, murder, attempted murder, robbery, counterfeiting, plundering, burglary, and rape. Convicted Chinese were to be held in a Chinese prison located in the American sector and guarded by Chinese under foreign supervision—the entire operation was paid for by the city of Peking. The committee went on to declare that no Chinese police may arrest a foreigner.
The rules were harsh, but the committee was also interested in restoring a normal life for the Chinese citizenry. Along with collecting taxes to defray the expense of street cleaning and lighting, the members insisted that no foreigners were permitted to confiscate Chinese property. “The only way to regain the confidence of the people is to assure them of non-interference in the execution of their daily labor. It is also to the interest of all to have eatables as well as coal brought in in large quantities from outside the city.” The committee also specified that there would be no more tearing down houses for firewood.
The imposition of martial law on Tientsin and Peking in the aftermath of the Boxer Rebellion could in no way be deemed equitable. The behavior of the international contingents at times violated what little international law existed at the time. The bigotry and high-handedness of the conquerors frequently brutalized the hapless Chinese and made little distinction between those who had been guilty of violence against foreigners and those who had not. But the firmness of the military rule did produce some benefits. It effectively quelled any further Boxer violence, and for the average citizen, life gradually improved. Markets reopened, and the economy began to pick up. Once commanders got their own troops in line, violence against innocent citizens diminished. The techniques were questionable, but the allied occupation forces did achieve conditions that led to the eventual withdrawal of foreign armies and restoration of the Imperial government.
Sources: https://visualizingcultures.mit.edu/box ... say01.html
Tientsin China in 1900. Glen Shagren Utah State University
The China Relief Expedition Joint Coalition Warfare in China Summer 1900.
That memorable campaign: American experiences in the China Relief Expedition during the 1900. Boxer Rebellion. Eric T. Smith
Cheers. Raúl M
