Death sentence for Chinese driver who killed protester

A COURT in China's vast northern region of Inner Mongolia handed out a death sentence and life in jail for two men charged with the homicide of an ethnic Mongolian herder.

The death of Mr Mergen, who had been protesting against pollution caused by a nearby coal mine, sparked wider demonstrations by ethnic minority Mongolians demanding better protection of their rights.

Beijing, ever worried by threats to stability, is now trying to address some of the protesters' broader concerns about the damage done by coal mining to traditional grazing lands.

State news agency Xinhua said coal truck driver Li Lindong will be executed "for using his vehicle to kill" Mr Mergen. His co-driver, also a Han Chinese, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the court in Xilinhot.

The tough sentences, announced immediately after the six-hour trial ended, underscores the government's determination to show it takes seriously the concerns of the ethnic Mongolians, and that it wants to avoid any more unrest.

The trial was attended by about 160 people, including relatives of Mr Mergen, who like many of China's ethnic Mongolians goes by only one name.

"The Mongol herder Mr Mergen, together with 20 others, attempted to block the path of Li Lindong's coal truck, in protest against the noise and dust created by the coal trucks day and night near his village," Xinhua said. Mr Mergen died after being dragged 145 metres after being struck by the truck