Zambia police on Oct. 18 arrested two Chinese managers who allegedly shot and wounded 12 miners protesting against poor working conditions at a Chinese run coal-mine, a government official said.
Oliver Pelete, the district commissioner for Sinazongwe southern town of the Zambian capital, said the two Chinese nationals would appear in court soon.
"At the moment, all I can tell you is that they have been charged for attempted murder and will be in court soon," said Pelete.
On Oct. 18, twelve workers at Collum Coal Mine were injured when mainly Chinese managers fired randomly at the protesters. The workers were hospitalized for treatment.
The incident has raised a political storm, with opposition leader Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front accusing the Chinese in the country of being untouchable because they are funding the ruling party ahead of next year's elections.
Investment from China has been on the rise Zambia, with several copper and coal mines bought by Chinese firms.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010
