Four men charged with attempting to smuggle 26 women from China's mainland to Taiwan on August 26 have been sentenced in a Taiwan court. All 26 women were pushed overboard and 6 drowned.

The legal proceedings were instituted by the local prosecutor in Miaoli, who was in charge of the investigation. All 4 defendants pleaded guilty. On Tuesday, two men were sentenced to 4 and 6 years' imprisonment. The other two, convicted of pushing the women into the sea, were sentenced to death. Local police have heightened vigilance to protect the witnesses and defendants from the smuggling gang. Media were allowed to attend the trial as visitors.

(CCTV.com October 29, 2003)