Slave laborers freed in raid on illegal brick kiln
By Cyril Li |
May 31, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A POLICE raid on an illegal brick kiln in northern China freed 34 slave laborers and led to the seizure of 11 suspects.
More than 100 officers swooped on the kiln in Hengshui City of Hebei Province on May 21, a local newspaper reported yesterday.
One man, surnamed Li, and his younger brother jointly owned the kiln and hired a Henan native, Cao, and his wife as supervisors.
The suspects were detained on suspicion of luring the victims, all migrants, to the kiln, forcing them to do unpaid heavy work 14 to 18 hours a day and beating them with electric batons.
Police have ensured that 25 victims were returned to their families, with their wages, while the other nine workers, who had lost contact with their relatives, have been referred to local civil affairs department.
Police carried out the raid after they were tipped off on May 18 by a worker who escaped from the kiln.
The worker, surnamed Song, told police that he arrived in Hebei's capital, Shijiazhuang, last month and was persuaded to go to the kiln to work.
But workers were watched all day even when they went to the toilet and were locked in the bedroom after work.
They were beaten or given electric shocks for any disobedience, Song said.
He had attempted to escape previously but had been caught and punished.
Almost a year ago, more than 30 mentally challenged slave laborers were rescued from two brick kilns in eastern China's Anhui Province.
Police in Anhui's Jieshou City seized 10 suspects, including kiln owners and foremen, and rescued 32 people, aged from 25 to 45, who had been forced to work a dozen hours a day and were often beaten.
And in 2007, private brick kiln owners in Shanxi Province were found to be abusing workers after more than 400 parents posted a petition on the Internet seeking help in finding their children.
Officers rescued about 1,500 people, many of them children or mentally handicapped.
More than 100 officers swooped on the kiln in Hengshui City of Hebei Province on May 21, a local newspaper reported yesterday.
One man, surnamed Li, and his younger brother jointly owned the kiln and hired a Henan native, Cao, and his wife as supervisors.
The suspects were detained on suspicion of luring the victims, all migrants, to the kiln, forcing them to do unpaid heavy work 14 to 18 hours a day and beating them with electric batons.
Police have ensured that 25 victims were returned to their families, with their wages, while the other nine workers, who had lost contact with their relatives, have been referred to local civil affairs department.
Police carried out the raid after they were tipped off on May 18 by a worker who escaped from the kiln.
The worker, surnamed Song, told police that he arrived in Hebei's capital, Shijiazhuang, last month and was persuaded to go to the kiln to work.
But workers were watched all day even when they went to the toilet and were locked in the bedroom after work.
They were beaten or given electric shocks for any disobedience, Song said.
He had attempted to escape previously but had been caught and punished.
Almost a year ago, more than 30 mentally challenged slave laborers were rescued from two brick kilns in eastern China's Anhui Province.
Police in Anhui's Jieshou City seized 10 suspects, including kiln owners and foremen, and rescued 32 people, aged from 25 to 45, who had been forced to work a dozen hours a day and were often beaten.
And in 2007, private brick kiln owners in Shanxi Province were found to be abusing workers after more than 400 parents posted a petition on the Internet seeking help in finding their children.
Officers rescued about 1,500 people, many of them children or mentally handicapped.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
