Up to 50 Myanmar sailors are being arrested or detained in China for working on ships carrying illegal goods, according to a statement released by the Myanmar embassy in Beijing. 

They are now at 16 detention centers and prison camps in China’s provinces and eight municipal cities. 

The arrestees are in good health and living there adapting themselves to the climate. 

In the cases in which Myanmar semen were arrested for various reasons in China, most are facing legal action for working on the vessels carrying illegal goods.

“They were usually detained or arrested. Then they faced a lawsuit. When they were facing trial, they were not allowed to meet their family members. They could do so only after they got into prison. Embassy officials arranged the visits,” said a second secretary from the Myanmar embassy. 

The Myanmar embassy is coordinating with officials concerned to know whether the arrests of those sailors are justified and not to lose their deserving rights. 

Those Myanmar sailors came to know that they were working on ships carrying illegal goods only after they were arrested. 

The embassy has urged Myanmar sailors, shipping agencies and relevant organizations to launch educative campaigns and distribute notices for sailors against working on ships carrying illegal goods.