Philippines: Philippines Sentences 12 Chinese Fishermen to Jail

Aug 5, 2014 | Reuters
View Original

A Philippine court on Tuesday found 12 Chinese fishermen guilty of illegal fishing in Philippine waters, sending them to jail for six to 12 years, the first convictions since tension between the neighbors flared over rival claims in the South China Sea.

Philippine rangers caught the fishermen after their boat ran aground on Tubbataha Reef in April 2013. The reef is not claimed by China but the jailing of the 12 is likely to put more strain on already tense ties.