• Burmese
Thursday, July 17, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
26 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

China Incensed over Life Sentences for Kachin State Loggers

The Irrawaddy by The Irrawaddy
July 23, 2015
in Uncategorized
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
China Incensed over Life Sentences for Kachin State Loggers

Chinese nationals arrive at the Myitkyina District Court on Wednesday. court in Myitkyina

4.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

RANGOON — Chinese officials have made their displeasure known over the long sentences leveled against 155 of that country’s citizens for illegal logging in Kachin State.

Amidst a large police presence at the Myitkyina District Court on Wednesday, 153 Chinese migrant workers were given life sentences for illegal logging in Kachin State forests, a punishment far harsher than observers had expected. Two other workers, both under the age of 18, were also sentenced to 10 years in jail each.

“These Chinese loggers were tricked by unlawful people, from both the Myanmar and Chinese sides, to enter and illegally log in Myanmar,” said Pan Xuesong, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy. “They are now serving their jail time in poor conditions. We think even 20 years is too heavy a sentence to carry.”

RelatedPosts

Chameleon Crony: How Myanmar’s ‘Baby’ Tycoon Thrived Across Four Eras

Chameleon Crony: How Myanmar’s ‘Baby’ Tycoon Thrived Across Four Eras

June 10, 2025
5.4k
The Hidden Costs of Relying on Chinese Military Hardware

The Hidden Costs of Relying on Chinese Military Hardware

May 30, 2025
1.7k
Naypyitaw Parliament Crumbles as Myanmar Junta’s Grand Ambitions Collapse 

Naypyitaw Parliament Crumbles as Myanmar Junta’s Grand Ambitions Collapse 

April 24, 2025
1.4k

Pan’s comments joined a chorus of condemnation from Beijing on Thursday, including editorials in state-run media and a statement by Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

“We are highly concerned about the ruling made by the Myanmar side, and have lodged representations with it,” Lu said, in a statement published on the ministry’s website on Thursday. “We ask the Myanmar side to take China’s concerns seriously, take all the factors into account and properly handle this case.”

All 155 Chinese citizens involved in the case were charged under Section 6(a) of the Public Property Protection Act and anti-drug laws. Burma’s Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry said earlier that the Chinese smugglers, who were arrested in January, carried out illegal logging activities for several years and should face a substantial penalty.

“We need to protect our environment, so this sentence is fair,” said Myint Swe, a Myitkyina District Court judge who sat on the case.

More than 4,500 tons of timber logs were seized on the logging site and handed over to the ministry in Myitkyina, according to the court. An excavator, three trailers, over 400 trucks, four Mitsubishi four wheel drives, cranes and bicycles were also seized by the military.

It is still unclear weather the Chinese loggers will appeal their sentences. In previous cases, Chinese nationals arrested for involvement in Burma’s illegal timber trade would routinely face jail terms of between one and five years, in addition to deportation.

The defendants, who previously claimed that the Kachin Independence Army had granted them permission to log in the area, all pleaded not guilty and denied any involvement in illegal logging, conceding only that they had entered the country illegally to find work.

No evidence or independent witnesses were presented to the court during the trials. Each defendant was given less than 15 minutes to be heard by the presiding judge.

The wife of one of the arrested Chinese loggers, Li Zhi Gang, said her husband is a truck driver and was working in the country for the first time.
“He did not participate in any illegal activities before, but nobody believed me,” she said. “He only went there this time to see if he could make a better living to support our children.”

According to the police investigation and sources familiar with the case, many of the defendants were farmers from Houqiao village in Yunnan province. They were able to earn 7,000 yuan (US$1,127) per month in the timber trade, around 10 times higher than what they were earning in China.

Sentencing was due to be delivered on July 17, but was postponed by the court pending further investigations. However, no further investigation was conducted, despite police being provided a list naming 23 Chinese logging traders, an official from the Kachin State Police Force told the Irrawaddy.

On Jan. 24, soon after the Chinese nationals were arrested, 23 Chinese traders submitted a letter to Chinese officials in Tengchong, asking for help to rescue the detained men and claiming that all those arrested had been provided “legitimate travel documents” issued by the Kachin Independence Army, permitting them to work in the area.

A top Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) official, who asked not to be named, said that local authorities, including border guard forces and officials from the forestry and immigration departments, were also complicit in bribe-taking, despite the fact that logging in the area was prohibited by the Union government.

“The government blamed the KIO, they don’t blame the local administrators…the border ministries, border security forces, customs, police, immigration,” he said. “Without the permission of these ministries, departments and staff, the Chinese men could not have entered Burma’s territory to begin with.”

Meanwhile, insiders said, illegal timber extraction continues unabated in Kachin State and the Wa Special Region, also on the Chinese border.

A Kachin State timber factory owner alleged that loggers had been instructed by the Department of Forestry to only transport illegal timber after dark, between 7-9pm.

Another source, who is familiar with the timber business in Wa Special Region said some Chinese loggers had also been arrested in Wa but were soon bailed out because of the close relationship between the United Wa State Army and the Burma Armed Forces.

“The illegal logging is still going on,” he said.

China is the world’s largest importer of timber, and about 90 percent of its timber imports are smuggled from Burma, according to the Myanmar Forestry Association.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: A_FactivaCorruptionInvestigation
The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy

...

Similar Picks:

General Close to Myanmar Junta Boss Placed Under House Arrest, Interrogated for Corruption
Burma

General Close to Myanmar Junta Boss Placed Under House Arrest, Interrogated for Corruption

by The Irrawaddy
September 14, 2023
28.7k

The arrest of ‘kickback king’ Lt-Gen Moe Myint Tun, once seen as a possible successor to Min Aung Hlaing, comes...

Read moreDetails
Post-Coup Myanmar is a Family Business: Min Aung Hlaing & Co
Burma

Post-Coup Myanmar is a Family Business: Min Aung Hlaing & Co

by David Aung
February 8, 2024
18k

Min Aung Hlaing is an opportunistic businessman in military uniform and his children are more mercenary than the offspring of...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta Reportedly Set to Prosecute High-Profile Businessmen for Corruption
Junta Cronies

Myanmar Junta Reportedly Set to Prosecute High-Profile Businessmen for Corruption

by The Irrawaddy
October 18, 2023
15.9k

Regime cronies Thein Win Zaw and Mu Mu Shein are set to follow former lieutenant general Moe Myint Tun as...

Read moreDetails
Unholy Alliance: Myanmar’s Mercedes Monks and the Men in Green
Commentary

Unholy Alliance: Myanmar’s Mercedes Monks and the Men in Green

by Aung Zaw
June 7, 2024
12.9k

Myanmar’s monks once led the fight against colonialism and dictatorship. Today, many prefer to collect fancy cars in return for...

Read moreDetails
Planeload of Cronies Accompany Myanmar Junta Boss on Russia Trip
Business

Planeload of Cronies Accompany Myanmar Junta Boss on Russia Trip

by Hein Htoo Zan
March 7, 2025
11.6k

Regime-linked businessmen are set to cash in on deals flowing from the 10 agreements signed between Russia and the Myanmar...

Read moreDetails
By Almost Every Measure, Myanmar Junta Ranks Among World’s Worst Regimes
Analysis

By Almost Every Measure, Myanmar Junta Ranks Among World’s Worst Regimes

by Khin Nadi
February 2, 2024
10.8k

The Irrawaddy unpacks the regime’s three-year track record of violence and rights abuses, as assessed by leading global organizations and...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Head to Head With a Burmese Hardliner

Head to Head With a Burmese Hardliner

Two Ta’ang Party Leaders Reportedly Abducted in Shan State Now Free

Two Ta’ang Party Leaders Reportedly Abducted in Shan State Now Free

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

‘Not a Witch Hunt’: Upholding Survivor-Centered Justice in Myanmar

‘Not a Witch Hunt’: Upholding Survivor-Centered Justice in Myanmar

6 days ago
710
‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

‘Reforms Are Not Optional’: Prominent Activist Urges NUG to Act Before It’s Too Late

1 week ago
1.4k

Most Read

  • Indian Army Accused of Deadly Strike on Separatists in Myanmar

    Indian Army Accused of Deadly Strike on Separatists in Myanmar

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Rakhine Fighters Close In on Myanmar Junta’s Naval Base

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What the ‘Snake Charmer’ Analogy Gets Wrong About Myanmar

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar and Russian Regimes Push Indian Trade Corridor to Bypass Western Sanctions

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Launches Space Agency With Russian Help

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.