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10 more sentenced to prison for SARS riots in China
Beijing, June 15: Ten people in China`s northern Shanxi province have been sentenced to up to six years in jail for a riot over Sars prevention measures that resulted in the sacking of local government offices, state press said today.
Beijing, June 15: Ten people in China's northern Shanxi province have been sentenced to up to six years in jail for a riot over Sars prevention measures that resulted in the sacking of local government offices, state press said today.
The 10 included Guo Baozhu and Liang Jianguo who were charged with organizing some 80 workers from the Zhongxing Mining Company in Jiaocheng county in an attack on the government offices in Lingdi township on the evening of April 23, the Beijing youth daily said.
During the riot seven Lingdi government officials were beaten, the paper said, while the government offices, equipment and cars were smashed.
The riot began after an altercation between a bus belonging to the mine and a Sars disinfection team on a road passing through Lingdi during the afternoon of April 23. A woman working for the mine was beaten during the dispute, the paper said.
China has implemented 10 weeks of draconian measures aimed at containing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), including mandatory inspections at the entrances of towns and villages often jointly manned by police and medical workers.
Those found to be showing Sars symptoms, like a simple fever, are often forcefully removed to local health centers to be quarantined for up to 10 days.
China is the epicenter of a Sars global epidemic and the virus has infected more than 5,300 people in the country, with 330 dying from the illness.
There have been protests and riots in several provinces by residents opposed to Sars treatment or quarantine facilities being set up in their areas, especially when there are no Sars cases there.
Bureau Report
During the riot seven Lingdi government officials were beaten, the paper said, while the government offices, equipment and cars were smashed.
The riot began after an altercation between a bus belonging to the mine and a Sars disinfection team on a road passing through Lingdi during the afternoon of April 23. A woman working for the mine was beaten during the dispute, the paper said.
China has implemented 10 weeks of draconian measures aimed at containing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), including mandatory inspections at the entrances of towns and villages often jointly manned by police and medical workers.
Those found to be showing Sars symptoms, like a simple fever, are often forcefully removed to local health centers to be quarantined for up to 10 days.
China is the epicenter of a Sars global epidemic and the virus has infected more than 5,300 people in the country, with 330 dying from the illness.
There have been protests and riots in several provinces by residents opposed to Sars treatment or quarantine facilities being set up in their areas, especially when there are no Sars cases there.
Bureau Report