Recently Li Wang-yang, a blind Chinese labour rights activist who had just been released from prison and under watch of the authorities, was found dead in his hospital ward. He was standing near the window, a rope tied to his neck. The officials and the local examiners claimed that he hung himself, but many people, doctors and coroners included, question this explanation. The points of contention includes the following: his feet was firmly on the ground when he was found; he was a blind and frail man (thus making it difficult to tie a noose strong enough to support himself; his room mates, doctors, and nurses do nothing to prevent him from committing "suicide".
The above joins the long list of unusual ways, according to officials, people die while in prison, or under house arrest in China. According the officials, people can die by choking, while playing hide-and-seek, wrestling, washing one's face, drinking water, and falling off the bed. One was said to have killed himself using a shoestring. Others have died from exposure to sunlight and rainfall (there was no mention of them having any pre-existing skin conditions).
People dying in strange, unusual ways is not limited to alleged criminals. A "remorseful" official committed suicide in his office by cutting himself 11 times. Some of the cut wounds were found in both wrists, chest, abdomen, throat, and trachea. Each one of these wounds would probably be enough to kill someone quickly.
Given their creativity, I would not surprised if Chinese officials claim people can die in the following ways should someone under their custody is found dead.
While the above ways to die sound quite difficult to believe, I am sure that, in the future, Chinese officials will use explanations more creative than those given above when someone under their custody dies under strange circumstances.