China province stops some labour camp terms: Media

BEIJING (AFP) - A Chinese province has said it will no longer send people to controversial "re-education through labour" camps for three types of political offences, state media reported on Thursday.

A senior official in Yunnan, in the southwest, said people suspected of "undermining state security" and "smearing the image of top officials" will no longer be sent to the camps, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Mr Meng Sutie, the top justice official in the province, said the change would also apply to people judged to have "caused unrest" while making complaints about government officials, according to the report.

He added that Yunnan would "temporarily suspend" such sentences for other kinds of illegal activity as a prelude to national reforms.