China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) and Supreme People's
Procuratorate co-issued Wednesday a legal interpretation on
penalties for coal mine safety accidents.
"The legal interpretation provides a yardstick for fixing
penalties for those who make a fortune out of blood-tainted coal
production," said a SPC spokesman. "We hope this will help improve
safety conditions in coal mines, and accelerate accident reports,"
he added.
According to the legal interpretation, coal mine bosses as well
as de facto owners will be sentenced to imprisonment for up to 3
years if illegal production leads to accidents killing more than
one person, injuring more than three, or causing economic losses of
more than one million yuan (US$128,000).
They will face a prison term of up to seven years if casualties
exceed three dead, 10 injured, or economic losses are more than
three million yuan.
The legal interpretation stipulates that coal mine bosses, de
facto owners, and government officials in charge of coal mine
management are legally obligated to report mine accidents to
authorities in a timely manner.
Mine owners, controllers and government officials will face
imprisonment of up to seven years if silence, misreporting, or
delayed reports on mine accidents lead to more casualties or
economic losses.
Those responsible for the coal mine accident will receive a
penalty reduction if evidence shows that they have "actively
organized or participated in rescue operations and damage repair
after the accident.”
The legal interpretation also reiterates that government
officials are strictly prohibited from investing in coal mines, and
that people violating the regulation will be "severely dealt
with.”
China reported its crude coal output reached 2.325 billion tons
in 2006, but 2,945 coal mine accidents occurred killing 4,746
people.
The country has vowed to reduce coal mine accidents by at least
a quarter by 2010, according to the 11th Five-year Plan for Coal
Mine Production Safety also published on Wednesday.
(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2007)