China: Twenty people jailed for poaching rhesus monkeys

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-01/25/content_1287976.htm

 

Twenty people jailed for poaching rhesus monkeys

2004-01-25 10:16:04

 

GUIYANG, Jan. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Twenty people have been sentenced to

imprisonment terms ranging from 6 to 14 years for poaching, killing,

trafficking and selling rhesus monkeys, a rare animal species under state

protection in China.

 

The sentences were handed down by local courts of the Miao and Dong

Autonomous Prefecture in the southwestern province of Guizhou, where serial

cases involving poaching and selling rhesus monkeys were uncovered.

 

The court of Leishan county found that in Nov. of 2002, Yin Sihui, Yang

Guangfu, Jin Guangming and other local farmers organized more than 50

villagers to poach 20 rhesus monkeys and sold 19 to traffickers. Five

ringleaders were sentenced to five to10 years in jail.

 

A Jianhe county court found that local farmers Pan Nianhu, Wu Tongjing

and Tai Wenxiong illegally purchased over 30 rhesus monkeys and sold the

animals in the eastern province of Anhui in 1999. The court sentenced Pan

and Wu to 14 years in jail and Tai was sentenced to 10 years in prison and

fined 1,000 yuan.

 

A Danzhai county court found that Liu Yuliang and five others caught 19

rhesus monkeys on a state-owned forest farm in the county in Dec. 2002, and

sold the monkeys to a couple, who resold the monkeys to traffickers from

Anhui. Seven principals involved in the case were sentenced to seven to 13

years in jail.

 

All the sentenced poachers and traffickers were involved in 10 major

cases, which were reported in eight counties and overseen by the Ministry of

Public Security, local court sources said.