Ship's captain joined police patrols after 13 friends were killed in 2011 massacre on the river

Tan Jianhua is not far past the midpoint of his career as a ship's captain, but he knows he wants to spend the rest of it ensuring safer navigation on the Mekong River.

After years at the helm of a ship, Tan became a surveillance officer in Yunnan province's border patrol police department, performing marine patrol and law enforcement duties on the river.