Bodies of 11 slain Chinese sailors cremated in north Thailand

Bodies of 11 Chinese sailors who were among those killed on Mekong River last month have been cremated in north Thailand's Chiang Rai province, Chinese officials said on Monday. Solemn farewell ceremonies were held before the bodies were cremated on Saturday and Monday. Relatives of the victims, Chinese officials, representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and officials from the Thai police and local government attended the ceremonies. Two Chinese working teams, dispatched respectively by the central government and the government of Yunnan province, where many victims were from, have been dedicated to works related to the incident and cooperated closely with the Thai side to advance the investigation. Two cargo ships, "Hua Ping" and "Yu Xing 8", were attacked on Oct. 5 on a section of Mekong River near the Golden Triangle area and 13 Chinese sailors aboard were killed. Thai police have pressed charges against a group of Thai army men in connection with the incident.