Four people have been given harsh sentences, including two
suspended death sentences, for stealing ancient tombs containing
precious cultural relics in Shaanxi Province.
Xi'an Intermediate People's Court on Monday gave suspended death
sentences to Qiu Zhaojun and Lu Fuping, and 15 years' imprisonment
to Xiong Yifang and Ding Xinxian.
"The punishment shows our authorities' determination to fight
against this crime," said Zhang Zaimin, an expert with Shaanxi
Cultural Relics Protection Centre.
The four, from Shaanxi, Jiangsu and Henan provinces, illegally
dug at an ancient tomb from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) in
Lantian County, Xi'an, in January.
They stole a total 119 items, according to the court.
Qiu and Lu's personal property was confiscated as part of the
sentence. This included cars and houses. The other two were also
fined 200,000 yuan (US$25,000) and 100,000 yuan (US$12,500)
respectively, according to the court.
Shaanxi, the site of China's capital for 13 dynasties over a
period of more than 1,000 years, has a large number of royal
mausoleums and tombs.
These contain thousands of valuable relics, said Chen Xianqi, an
official with the Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural
Heritage.
"For years, these tombs have attracted criminals from both home
and abroad," Chen said.
In 2003, Shaanxi issued a number of stiff laws and regulations
to protect cultural relics and the tombs, said Zhao Rong, director
of Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage.
(China Daily August 30, 2006)