A total of 2,876 Chinese telecom fraud suspects have been repatriated from Myawaddy in Myanmar to China following a joint crackdown launched by China, Myanmar and Thailand, the Ministry of Public Security said on Friday.
Aboard chartered flights, 2,255 additional suspects were recently repatriated to China under the escort of Chinese police, according to the ministry.
This mass repatriation marks a significant achievement in the joint operation among China, Myanmar and Thailand that was launched on Feb 20, and is a powerful deterrent to foreign criminal gangs, the ministry said.
The ministry pledged to redouble its efforts to deepen international law enforcement cooperation and intensify the crackdown on telecom fraud to protect the safety and property of Chinese citizens.
2,876 fraud suspects repatriated from Myanmar to China
More than 100,000 protesters descended on Serbia's capital, Belgrade, on Saturday in what is likely the largest anti-government demonstration in recent months.
The protests, sparked by a deadly train station roof collapse in November that killed 15 people, have grown into a nationwide movement against corruption.
Students from across the country joined the rally, accusing the government of negligence and demanding accountability.
Thousands of students from the University of Novi Sad arrived in Belgrade Friday evening.
They walked for two days in defiance of calls from the authorities not to come to the Belgrade protests.
Thousands of locals greeted them as police monitored their arrival amid fears that the weekend protests could turn violent.
However, students said that they were planning peaceful protests.
"These were and these are peaceful protests. We are not calling for any violence, as we never did so far. And we are not afraid," said Ivan Vladimir, a student.
Some Serbian political leaders including President Aleksandar Vucic have claimed that the student's protests are a smoke screen for a so-called colored revolution, an attempt to overthrow the government.
They warned any violence will be swiftly crushed.
"It is only our people who will decide who will govern the country through democratic elections, not crowds in the streets, and definitely not extremist political groups who are ready to use violence to advance their political cause," said Emanja Starovic, Minister for Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs.
But the tensions are present, particularly in Belgrade's city center, where many citizens joined the students.
In front of presidency, Vucic's supporters erected a makeshift camp a few days ago.
Hundreds of tractors were placed around that camp on Thursday evening to reduce the contact between the two opposing sides.
Riot police are also on hand hoping to prevent any contact between the two groups.
But that doesn't always work. Protesters deflated most of the tractor tires.
Protest organizers said they are expecting a quarter of a million demonstrators Saturday evening while the authorities have disputed that figure. The protesters urged people to remember the victims of the train station tragedy and demanded a answer to why it happened.
Over 100,000 protesters rally in Belgrade in response to railway station tragedy
