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Beijing: A Myanmar court has sentenced 153 Chinese nationals to life in prison after convicting them of illegal logging, prompting an angry diplomatic response from Beijing.
Life sentences are generally treated as 20 years in Myanmar's judicial system. Two Chinese minors received 10-year sentences for the same offence.
The case has strained ties between the two countries since the Myanmar army made the arrests in January in the country's northern Kachin state. The countries share a border to China's southwest.
China's Foreign Ministry released a statement late on Wednesday saying it was "highly concerned" and called for the return of those involved to China as soon as possible.
"Right after the Myanmar side arrested and detained some Chinese engaged in illegal logging in Myanmar early this year, the Chinese side has lodged multiple representations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.
"China has requested the Myanmar side to consider the actual situation of those loggers and deal with the matter in a lawful, reasonable and sensible way," he said.
The loggers were sentenced under a 1963 law calling for jail terms of 10 years to life for anyone who steals or otherwise misuses or abuses public property. Logging in Myanmar flourished under the former junta, but the quasi-civilian government which replaced outright military rule in 2011 has sought to curb unsustainable forestry practices.
Chinese loggers have flouted the timber export ban enacted in 2014, by making deals with local ethnic minority warlords and military officers.
Much of Myanmar's fine jade is also believed to be smuggled across the porous border.
The Chinese embassy in Myanmar told the state-run Beijing Times that it had protested the sentences were too severe and that it had made solemn presentations with Myanmar over the matter.
The embassy said the workers had been deceived by criminals from both China and Myanmar to engage in illegal logging in Myanmar.
- with agencies
