China to investigate into "slave labor" incident (Police rescue 548 slave workers

[Omaha Steve]

Source: CCTV.com

China to investigate into "slave labor" incident
Source: Xinhuanet | 06-16-2007 18:53

China's central government will send a team of investigators to look into the use of "slave labor" at illegal brick kilns in central China, which has raised great concerns among the public.


Police rescue 548 slave workers. Full Story >>

Chinese policemen help a young worker to leave a brick kiln in Hongtong County, Linfen City, North China's Shanxi Province in late May 2007. (Photo: Xinhuanet)

The Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MLSS), which will head the team, said preliminary investigations show the incident may involve abducted and forced labor.

"The team will find out the truth as soon as possible, and we will go all out to rescue the workers who had been forced to work as slaves in the brick kilns," said Sun Baoshu, deputy minister of MLSS, on Friday.

"The criminal offenders will be dealt with to safeguard the legal interests of the workers," Sun pledged.

A total of 468 workers, 251 in Shanxi Province and 217 in Henan Province, who were forced to work as "slaves" have been freed from brick kilns and other illegal work places.

Police in Henan and Shanxi have staged raids on coal mines, brick kilns, private contractors and small enterprises, as the crackdown continues.


Read more: http://www.cctv.com/english/20070616/101896.shtml

[onehandle]

1. 548? They have millions of slave laborers.

Wal-Mart and other wholesome American corporations keep them busy.

[fed-up]

3. and people that shop at walmart knowlingly support the use of slaves-your $ is your vote-nt

[ohio2007]

4. and people who own stock in Wal-Mart

shouldn't run for public office.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8PPD3781&show_article=1
well, unless they sell off their stock of course.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/9dd2b486-1b79-11dc-bc55-000b5df10621.html


just sayin

[smtpgirl]

2. I doubt that will ever happen

[strategery blunder]

5. I hope Wal-Mart's suppliers are shut down over this

It wouldn't surprise me at all, knowing THEIR attitude towards labor.

However I wouldn't be surprised either if a big fat bribe kept any connections to Wal-Mart under the rug. x(

[David__77]

6. A few executions of exploiters might scare the parasites-at-large.

I don't support capital punishment in general, but I know that this could be a capital crime in China. Hopefully they treat this very seriously and launch a nationwide hunt for these types.

[Eugene]

7. China detains 168 after brick kiln slavery scandal

Source: Reuters

China detains 168 after brick kiln slavery scandal
18 Jun 2007 01:04:52 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, June 18 (Reuters) - Chinese police have detained
168 people accused of holding workers in virtual slavery
under appalling conditions at brick kilns in north-central
provinces of the country, a state newspaper reported on
Monday.

Of those, 48 were caught in Shanxi province and the rest in
neighbouring Henan, the official China Daily said.

The scandal has undermined the ruling Communist Party's
promises to build a "harmonious" society with improved
rights and income for the nation's hundreds of millions of
poor farmers.

-snip-

The government has given each of the freed workers -- more
than 500 so far -- 1,000 yuan ($131.2) as "sympathy" money,
the Beijing News added.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK225293.htm