Sailors wait for tide of danger to pass

Police Vow Support

BANGKOK - Chinese police will work closely with the Thai side on the probe into the killing of 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River earlier this month, a senior Chinese police official said on Monday in Bangkok.

"The purpose of the Chinese police delegation is to cooperate closely and exchange views with the Thai police over the investigation on the case, so as to facilitate the process of the investigation and bring the culprits to justice," said Zhang Xinfeng, China's deputy minister of public security.

The Royal Thai Police had instructed senior officials and experts to work strenuously on the case and will continue cooperation with Chinese police to accelerate the investigation, Thai Police Chief Priewpan Damapong said.

He pledged that Thai police would unearth the truth about the case and deliver reports to the Chinese side as soon as possible.

Two Chinese cargo vessels, Huaping and Yuxing 8, were attacked by unidentified armed people on a section of the Mekong River in Thailand on Oct. 5.

Zhang said during a meeting with Damapong that the Chinese government attached great importance to the investigation.

Xinhua