Due care for miners
Updated: 2013-06-07 07:11
(China Daily)
|
||||||||
There is widespread concern back home about the situation of the 124 Chinese nationals detained by police in Ghana for suspected illegal gold mining, China's authorities should work with their Ghanaian counterparts for a proper settlement to the issue as soon as possible and seek a once-and-for-all solution to the alleged illegal gold mining by Chinese nationals in the West African country.
But before that, the Ghanaian authorities must provide due protection for the legal rights of the detained Chinese citizens and ensure they are treated in accordance with local and international laws and prevent mistreatment.
According to the Chinese Embassy in Ghana, the local authorities conducted raids in areas near illegal mines where Chinese live, including at a hotel in the central Ashanti region over the weekend, and by Wednesday they had detained 124 Chinese citizens. Messages posted online by some miners seeking assistance said that their mines were looted and that they were even shot at by people with AK47 guns while hiding from the searching police.
The arrests came as Ghana, Africa's second-largest gold producer, launched a crackdown on illegal mining. Ghanaian law prohibits foreigners from engaging in mines smaller than 25 acres. Local residents say illegal mining is a safety threat and it exacerbates land-related conflicts and causes water pollution.
There have been reports in recent years of Chinese workers being arrested by the Ghanaian authorities on suspicion of illegal gold mining, and in October, one Chinese national died during a raid on illegal gold mines in Ghana's Ashanti region.
The Chinese government has done a lot to assist and collaborate with African countries, honoring the commitments it has made to the friendly nations of Africa, toward which the entire nation holds fraternal feelings. However, unlawful conduct of some compatriots, such as the illegal mining in Ghana, is undermining these efforts. This certainly poses a challenge to China's "Africa strategy", and contravenes the government's efforts to expand friendly and win-win cooperation with African countries.
The detention of the 124 Chinese miners highlights the need for relevant law enforcement departments from both China and Ghana to work together on mining and related issues.
(China Daily USA 06/07/2013 page17)
- Michelle lays roses at site along Berlin Wall
- Historic space lecture in Tiangong-1 commences
- 'Sopranos' Star James Gandolfini dead at 51
- UN: Number of refugees hits 18-year high
- Slide: Jet exercises from aircraft carrier
- Talks establish fishery hotline
- Foreign buyers eye Chinese drones
- UN chief hails China's peacekeepers
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Pumping up power of consumption |
From China with love and care |
From the classroom to the boardroom |
Schools open overseas campus |
Domestic power of new energy |
Clearing the air |
Today's Top News
Shenzhou X astronaut gives lecture today
US told to reassess duties on Chinese paper
Chinese seek greater share of satellite market
Russia rejects Obama's nuke cut proposal
US immigration bill sees Senate breakthrough
Brazilian cities revoke fare hikes
Moody's warns on China's local govt debt
Air quality in major cities drops in May
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |