Myanmar to hand over 153 convicted Chinese loggers to China

Myanmar today agreed to hand over 155 Chinese nationals jailed for illegal logging as part of a massive amnesty as Beijing piled up pressure on Naypyidaw for their release.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei today said that Myanmar apprised China of the plan to hand them over yesterday.
The Myanmar government today granted an amnesty to 6,966 prisoners, including 210 foreigners.
Under the terms of the amnesty, all 210 foreign prisoners will be deported from today, "with a view to maintaining friendship and ties with related countries."
"We attach high importance to the measures taken by Myanmar," Hong said.

On July 22, the Myitkyina district court in northern Myanmar's Kachin State sentenced the 155 loggers to more than 10 years in prison for violating a 1963 law against destroying public property.

Two 17-year-old boys were also given 10-year jail terms, and a woman in the group was given an additional 15 years for drug possession.
China had earlier expressed concern about the severity of the sentences.
China had repeatedly raised the issue with Myanmar since the arrest of the group, who it says had been tricked into carrying out the logging, the Foreign ministry had earlier said.