Mekong River killing appeal hearing begins in Yunnan

Six foreigners suspected of murdering 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River are undergoing an appeal hearing at the Yunnan Higher People's Court.

Last September Kunming Intermediate People's Court, heard how Naw Kham and five accomplices hijacked two Chinese cargo ships in Burmese waters in October 2011, and killed all 13 crew on board. Naw Kham and three of his accomplices were sentenced to the death penalty.

The six suspects were fined six million yuan to compensate the victims' families.

However, all of the suspects said they planned to appeal the case after the first trial. Naw Kham, a 44-year-old ethnic Shan from Burma, has been engaged in criminal activities in the Golden Triangle between Burma, Thailand and Laos for the last five years, in collusion with a gang of up to 100 men.