Chinese bosses shoot protesting Zambian miners: police

[IBRIS]

Chinese bosses shoot protesting Zambian miners: police

LUSAKA (AFP) – Managers at a Chinese-run Collum Coal Mine in Zambia shot and wounded 12 miners who were protesting against poor working conditions, police said on Saturday.

"The workers were protesting against the poor working conditions when managers using shotguns started to shoot aimlessly, not in the air, thereby wounding 12 workers," police spokesman Ndandula Siamana told AFP.

Before the Friday incident in the southern town of Sinazongwe, workers had constantly been complaining about poor working conditions at the mine.

Siamana said police were investigating the incident and no charges had been brought against the managers.

"It's possible that the managers feared that they might be attacked but we shall ensure that the culprits are brought to book," Siamana said.

The 12 workers are currently being treated at a local hospital for various gunshot wounds.

The incident has halted production at the mine and threatened to worsen relations between workers and Chinese employers in the mining industry and other sectors.

Chinese investment in Zambia is on the rise, with several Chinese firms having snapped up mines in the copper rich southern African country.

In March, a Chinese company invested 37 million dollars (27.7 million euros) to revive a dormant nickel mine in the country.

 

[IBRIS]

Chinese Managers Arrested for Shooting Zambian Miners

Miners were protesting against poor working conditions at a Chinese run coal-mine

Zambia police on Oct. 18 arrested two Chinese managers who allegedly shot and wounded 12 miners protesting against poor working conditions at a Chinese run coal-mine, a government official said.

Oliver Pelete, the district commissioner for Sinazongwe southern town of the Zambian capital, said the two Chinese nationals would appear in court soon.

"At the moment, all I can tell you is that they have been charged for attempted murder and will be in court soon," said Pelete.

On Oct. 18, twelve workers at Collum Coal Mine were injured when mainly Chinese managers fired randomly at the protesters. The workers were hospitalized for treatment.

The incident has raised a political storm, with opposition leader Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front accusing the Chinese in the country of being untouchable because they are funding the ruling party ahead of next year's elections.

Investment from China has been on the rise Zambia, with several copper and coal mines bought by Chinese firms.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010

 

[IBRIS]

Chinese bosses 'mistakenly' shot Zambia protesters: Beijing

BEIJING, Oct 19 (AFP) Oct 19, 2010
China said Tuesday that two Chinese coal mine managers who were arrested in Zambia for allegedly shooting 12 local workers had hurt the Zambians "mistakenly".

The two Chinese nationals have been charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting randomly at the Zambian miners after they protested poor working conditions at their Chinese-run mine on Friday.

The incident has raised a political storm, with opposition leader Michael Sata accusing the Chinese in the country of being untouchable because they are funding the ruling party ahead of next year's elections.

However, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said the managers of the private company had "mistakenly hurt several local workers", while promising to cooperate with Zambia on the case.

"We will proceed from the overall interests of our friendly relations with Zambia, continue our close cooperation and properly handle the aftermath according to law," Ma said when asked for comment at a news briefing.

The injured workers at the Chinese-run Collum Coal Mine were hospitalised after the incident. The two Chinese suspects will appear in court soon, a Zambian government official told AFP.

Investment from China has been on the rise in Zambia, with several copper and coal mines bought by Chinese firms.

Africa has seen a wave of Chinese investment, despite criticism in the West that Beijing was blatantly ignoring human rights abuses, and environment and corruption issues in some countries as it lunges for the continent's resources.

China pumped 9.3 billion dollars into Africa by the end of 2009, a government report said last week, and Chinese officials have vowed the push would continue.

In particular, China has been criticised by the West over its support for regimes such as Sudan and Zimbabwe, which have been accused of human rights abuses, but many African leaders praise Beijing for not preaching to them on rights.

Ma said China's embassy in Lusaka had asked the Chinese-run company to "properly handle the dispute."

 

[siegecrossbow]

Already posted sir.

 

[IBRIS]

Zambia: Police block petition against mine shooting

By LusakaTimes reporter

A MASSIVE Police unit today blocked opposition Patriotic Front (PF) National youth Secretary Erick Chanda and United Party for National Development (UPND) Lusaka Province Youth Coordinator, Brian Hapunda from presenting their petition to Chinese Ambassador Li Qiangmin.

The youths were expected to petition the Chinese government following the shooting incident of over 11 Zambian miners at a Chinese owned mine in Sinazongwe last Friday.

But the protestors arrived to an overwhelming police presence in riot gear while journalists from both local and international media organisations waited anxiously to report the procession.

The Chinese officials who were willing to speak to the protestors at around 09:30 hours Tuesday morning were held back by police officers who warned them of a possible altercation in the process of receiving the petition from the concerned citizens.

After halting the youths, police who caused more confusion at the Embassy than the protesters dragged the two, including another UPND member who was present, to a respectable 100 meters away from the Chinese mission.

The youth pleaded with police authorities and promised to cause no trouble in the presentation of the petition, but the irate paramilitary riot squad did not allow not even the media near the Embassy.

“We are not allowing interviews and no one is allowed to cross this (UN avenue), one of the police officers told a Muvi TV crew that attempted to speak to a Chinese national at the scene.

Police then locked up the Chinese Embassy and asked journalists to leave the premises, as the terrified Embassy officials peeped at the situation through a glass window.

The youths went to Petition the Chinese Ambassador following the shooting of 13 Zambian workers by management officials of a Chinese owned Collum Coal Mine in Southern Province.

The two officials who have been identified as Xiao Li Shan, 48, and Wu Jiu Hua, 46 are currently detained at Choma police station charged with attempted murder and are expected to appear in Court soon.

 

[IBRIS]

Already posted sir.

Mod's please delete the thread if it's a repost. I couldn't find a similar thread, My apologizes.