China suspended shipping on the Mekong river following the hijacking of two cargo ships in the “Golden Triangle,” where the borders of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet. 13 Chinese crew on the two ships were killed by a drug trafficking ring operating on the river. A total of 116 of the 130 ships engaged in international shipping on the river are operated by Chinese companies, the Lancang River Maritime Affairs Bureau said. Border troops recaptured the two ships and seized some 951,000 methamphetamine pills after a gunfight with the drug traffickers. The gang demands protection money from ships it hijacks on the Mekong and kills crew members who refuse to cooperate. Guo Zhiqiang, a part owner of one of the ships, the Yu Xing 8, said it never occurred to him that the boat “would be attacked like that” though he knew the river was not safe. Guo’s boat is Myanmar-registered but all the crew were Chinese. Following the incident, dozens of Chinese sailors returned to China from northern Thailand under the escort of a Chinese patrol ship. Eleven cargo boats with 78 sailors on board returned to Guanlei port in Xishuangbanna prefecture, Yunnan province. In total, 164 sailors had been living aboard 26 ships on the Mekong river in Thailand’s Chiang Saen district since China suspended shipping in the wake of the attack. The remaining 15 ships were on their way to Guanlei port, Xinhua reported. Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Towijakchaikul proposed joint escort operations from China, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar on the Mekong to ensure shipping safety.