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Thursday, July 27 5:46 AM SGT

Canadian judge hears closing arguments in Chinese human-smuggling trial

A British Columbia Supreme Court judge began hearing closing arguments on Wednesday in a people-smuggling trial following the arrival of boatloads of illegal Chinese immigrants on the Canadian coast last year.

The case made legal history in Canada Wednesday when the judge allowed cameras inside the courtroom for closing arguments by prosecution and defence counsel.

Although cameras have been allowed in the Canadian Supreme Court on occasion, legal and media experts say this was the first time cameras were allowed into a court conducting a criminal trial.

Nine South Koreans have been charged with smuggling the Chinese migrants into Canada illegally.

Justice Ronald MacKinnon, in allowing the cameras into his court, ordered that the defendants were not photographed or filmed in any way.

The South Koreans are accused of trying to smuggle 131 Chinese illegal immigrants into Canada last summer.

Defence lawyer Tim Russell began the closing arguments which are expected to take three days.

Then the jury must decide whether to believe the testimony of ship captain Kim Chong-un, who says the vessel was boarded by Chinese pirates in the East China Sea and forced to deliver the people to Canadian shores.

Kim testified that he and his eight crew members were on a fishing expedition when they were overtaken by 20-30 men armed with knives and pipes.

After the human cargo was loaded on to the ship they were told to sail to Samoa where they were resupplied with water and food for the long journey to Canada.

"I told them that while we were sailing if we were hit by a big wind or storm all of us could die," said Kim in earlier testimony through an interpreter.

Kim said he and his crew were threatened with death by four Chinese snakeheads, or people smugglers, who also made the 8,000 kilometre (5,00-mile) journey on the 32-metre vessel.

Kim dropped his human cargo off on a rocky shoreline of a remote island off the coast of British Columbia. He then turned the ship around and headed for international waters before being stopped by the Canadian Coast Guard.

Prosecutors allege Kim worked closely with the smuggling ring to sneak the Chinese boat people from Fujian province into Canada.

A number of Chinese migrants were supposed to testify at the trial but refused, saying their lives would be in danger.

Kims ship was one of four that arrived in Canada last summer with close to 600 Chinese migrants.

The majority have been allowed to make refugee claims while only about 100 have so far been repatriated.