Philippines: Fishermen Sentenced

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/06/world/asia/philippines-fishermen-sentenced.html

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A 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. The fishermen were caught when their boat ran aground in April 2013 on Tubbataha Reef, which is not claimed by China. The jailing of the 12 is likely to put more strain on already tense ties. A lawyer defending the men said he would appeal. “We believe the Chinese fishermen are innocent,” the lawyer said. The men said that they had been on their way from Indonesia to China when bad weather forced them to take shelter at the reef, and that they had not been aware they were in Philippine territory.