Hu vows to defeat Sars
18/05/2003 12:04 - (SA)
Moscow - Chinese President Hu Jintao told the Russian media on Sunday that his country would defeat severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), amid reports of riots over China's heavy-handed legal measures to fight the disease.
"We are full of confidence and determination that we can win a victory over Sars due to the strength of the entire Chinese people," Hu said in an interview from Beijing.
"Currently, China is in the forefront of the struggle against atypical pneumonia," he was quoted as saying.
"Our work to prevent and control the epidemic is a nationwide effort," he said, adding that China was taking "strict" measures to make sure Sars does not spread abroad.
His comments came as Chinese courts began to announce prison sentences for rioters opposed to Sars quarantine facilities.
Six people in China's northern Hebei province were sentenced to up to five years in prison for inciting an April 24 riot at a Sars quarantine facility in Xiong county, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Sunday.
Two others were sentenced by the Xiong county court on Friday to three years in prison for the same offense as well as charges of damaging public and private property and arson, the report said.
Three others were sentenced to up to 18 months for their roles in the riots.
The convictions come after a tough new Supreme Court interpretation of the "infectious disease law" last week allowed the death penalty for any intentional transmission of the disease.
China has been the country worst hit by the previously unknown disease with more than 5 200 cases and some 282 fatalities.
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