Chinese fishermen detained in NK `treated like animals`

Chinese fishermen who were released after a 13-day detention in North Korea claim that they were beaten daily and treated like animals, a leading Japanese daily said Tuesday.

The Yomiuri Shimbun said medical checkups at a Dalian hospital of the 28 fishermen who were released Monday showed that several of them suffered injuries from beatings.

The owner of the Chinese fishing boat was quoted as saying, “The crewmen were beaten by guards every day and were banned from talking to each other. They were treated like animals.” Denying Pyongyang`s claim that the boat intruded into North Korean waters, he said, “As we checked the location through the global positioning system, the boat was fishing within Chinese waters.”

The Chinese daily Beijing News also said, “Since North Koreans blocked the fishermen from going to the bathroom, they had to urinate in cola bottles,” displaying photos of such bottles containing urine.

On North Korea’s unconditional release of the fishermen, Yomiuri said, “North Korea, which is pushing for leader Kim Jong Un to visit China, feared an escalation of antipathy against it in China, and sought to resolve the issue.”

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