China crackdown on slave labour

[133724]

The Chinese government has promised a national probe into allegations of slave labour after hundreds of workers in two provinces were reportedly beaten and forced to work long hours without food or pay.

Authorities will start the crackdown by focusing on Shanxi and Henan provinces where children as young as eight were allegedly abused.

The government has been under pressure to act since the slave labour scandal emerged more than a week ago.

Chinese newspapers have carried reports and pictures of emaciated workers with faces and arms burned from the heat of working in the brick kilns.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/108DD1B6-B509-4746-83DF-971C691F7A24.htm