A MASSIVE Police unit today blocked opposition Patriotic Front (PF) National youth Secretary Erick Chanda and United Party for National Development (UPND) Lusaka Province Youth Coordinator, Brian Hapunda from presenting their petition to Chinese Ambassador Li Qiangmin.
The youths were expected to petition the Chinese government following the shooting incident of over 11 Zambian miners at a Chinese owned mine in Sinazongwe last Friday.
But the protestors arrived to an overwhelming police presence in riot gear while journalists from both local and international media organisations waited anxiously to report the procession. The Chinese officials who were willing to speak to the protestors at around 09:30 hours Tuesday morning were held back by police officers who warned them of a possible altercation in the process of receiving the petition from the concerned citizens.
After halting the youths, police who caused more confusion at the Embassy than the protesters dragged the two, including another UPND member who was present, to a respectable 100 meters away from the Chinese mission.
The youth pleaded with police authorities and promised to cause no trouble in the presentation of the petition, but the irate paramilitary riot squad did not allow not even the media near the Embassy.
“We are not allowing interviews and no one is allowed to cross this (UN avenue), one of the police officers told a Muvi TV crew that attempted to speak to a Chinese national at the scene.
Police then locked up the Chinese Embassy and asked journalists to leave the premises, as the terrified Embassy officials peeped at the situation through a glass window.
The youths went to Petition the Chinese Ambassador following the shooting of 13 Zambian workers by management officials of a Chinese owned Collum Coal Mine in Southern Province.
The two officials who have been identified as Xiao Li Shan, 48, and Wu Jiu Hua, 46 are currently detained at Choma police station charged with attempted murder and are expected to appear in Court soon.
Source: Lusakatimes
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