Mekong murderers' rights fully respected while jailed

 A prison official in southwest China's Yunnan Province said Thursday that the four men who were given the death sentence for murdering 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River in 2011 had their legal rights fully respected while incarcerated.

The Chinese authorities announced Wednesday that Myanmar drug lord Naw Kham and three of his accomplices, all of whom were convicted of murdering 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River in 2011, will be executed on March 1.

Prison official Lu Yongchang said the four have not overreacted to the verdict, but have exhibited some physical changes, such as increased blood pressure.

Prison guards have comforted the prisoners via interpreters, Lu said, adding that they have been transferred from group cells to individual cells and are being closely monitored.

"It is not their extreme reactions that we worry about, but their physical condition. If they exhibit physical issues, we will have them treated," Lu said.

Their requests regarding what clothing they will wear and what meals they will eat in the days leading up to their execution will be met, according to the prison official.

Some of the four prepared wills, which were handed over to their relatives on Thursday morning.

Zhao Biao, a provincial police officer, said the prisoners have been treated equally and have not been discriminated against, adding that their religious beliefs and dietary habits have been respected.

During their ten-month jail term, the four underwent physical exams three times daily, Zhao said.