China confirms detaining Indians
January 14th, 2010 - 6:41 pm ICT by IANSBeijing, Jan 14 (IANS) China confirmed Thursday that a group of Indian nationals has been detained on smuggling charges.
“Chinese police detained some Indians suspected of smuggling,” foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told a press briefing Thursday.
Jiang made the comment when asked to confirm whether the police in south China’s Shenzhen city have detained 21 Indian diamond traders, Xinhua news agency reported.
“The Indian embassy in China has dispatched officials to see them,” Jiang said, without giving the number of detainees or their identities.
Saying the case was being considered, Jiang said she believed the legitimate rights of those involved would be protected.
Indian diplomats Wednesday got consular access to the detained Indians in Shenzhen.
An official from the Indian embassy in Beijing and another from the Indian consulate in Shenzhen met each of the detainees individually.
The officials sought information about the circumstances under which they were held, official sources said in New Delhi.
The group was detained by the Anti-Smuggling Bureau Jan 8 in Shenzhen and the men were charged with illegally bringing in diamonds from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.
The Shenzhen incident has elicited protests from diamond traders in India, who have an important presence at the Shanghai Diamond Exchange.
The arrests of the Indian diamond workers came a day after three Chinese engineers were arrested in Chhattisgarh for a chimney crash at the Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO) plant in Korba in India’s Chhattisgarh state, which killed 41 workers in September last year.
- Detained Indians in China are fine, getting veg food (Lead) - Jan 13, 2010
- Kin pray for release of Indian diamond traders in China - Jan 17, 2010
- India will assist diamond merchants detained by China, says Krishna - Jan 13, 2010
- Indian diamond traders' arrest creates fresh problems with Beijing (Lead) - Jan 12, 2010
- Officials get consular access to detained Indians in China - Jan 13, 2010
- India wants details on its diamond traders' arrest in China - Jan 12, 2010
- China to deport 13 Indian diamond traders, Modi claims credit - Dec 07, 2011
- Surat diamond merchants threaten to halt trade with China - Jan 21, 2010
- Govt. hopeful of getting consular access to Indian nationals detained in China - Jan 12, 2010
- Chhattisgarh opposition walks out over 'favours to BALCO' - Sep 08, 2011
- Balco officials sent to judicial custody (Lead) - Nov 17, 2009
- Chhattisgarh police summons Balco CEO for chimney crash - Sep 30, 2009
- Balco mishap Chhattisgarh's worst industrial tragedy (Lead) - Jan 15, 2010
- Construction firm official arrested in Balco accident (Lead) - Oct 07, 2009
- Surat diamond traders flay arrest of Indians in China - Jan 13, 2010
Tags: balco, bharat aluminium company ltd, chhattisgarh, chinese engineers, chinese police, detainees, diamond exchange, diamond traders, diamond workers, foreign ministry spokesperson, foreign ministry spokesperson jiang, indian consulate, indian diplomats, indian embassy in china, indian nationals, korba, legitimate rights, shenzhen city, south china, xinhua news agency