A local government within the province took the extreme step after continuous problems with unlicensed mines re-opening after being shutdown.
Officials told the South China Morning Post they were forced to take severe measures after they found many dangerous mines continued operating after fatal accidents had occurred and despite official government warnings.
In a government statement local government officials were urged to shutdown all unlicensed mines and to show no tolerance for illegal operators or those who over-produced.
Chinese government had also taken steps recently to increase mine safety with new regulations governing shutdown procedures and penalties. The new regulations begin mid-August and include higher financial penalties for illegal mines.
Despite grave implications under current Chinese criminal law, including imprisonment and death, illegal mines continue to increase due to high demand for coal for domestic electricity generation.
