The 2007 Chinese slave scandal (Chinese: 山西黑砖窑案; literally "Shanxi Black Brickyard Incident") was a series of forced labour cases in Shanxi, China. Unfree labour is a generic or collective term for those work relations especially in modern or early modern history in which people are employed against their will ( Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province in the northern part of the People's Republic of China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Thousands of Chinese people including children had been forced to work as slaves in illegal brick kilns, and tortured by the owners of the kilns. The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following A person who resides in and holds citizenship of the People's Republic of China (including Hong As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Kilns are thermally insulated chambers or Ovens in which controlled temperature regimes are produced As of June 2007, approximately 550 people have been rescued from such situations.
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Background
Shanxi is located in Loess Plateau in northern China which is known for its rich clay deposits which are easier and cheaper to mine than coal. The Loess Plateau ( also known as the Huangtu Plateau is a Plateau that covers an area of some 640000 km² in the upper and middle of China 's Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Through corrupt relationships with officials, slave "bosses" opened illegal brick kilns. Due to low population in Shanxi, some factories outsourced production businesses to middlemen who recruited workers from other provinces, making huge profits for the bosses. It was reported that Wang Bingbing, the owner of a kiln located in Hongdong County, Linfen, is the son of Wang Dongyi, one of secretary of CCP branch. Hongdong County ( Chinese: 洪洞县 Pinyin: Hóngdòng Xiàn is a county in Linfen, Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Linfen ( is a Prefecture-level city in southern Shanxi province People's Republic of China. The owner outsourced the kiln to Heng Tinghan from Henan. Henan ( is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country The kiln produces 10,000 bricks per day. Market price of 10,000 bricks is about 2,000 to 3,000 Yuan, the owner, however, just paid 360 Yuan to Heng per 10,000 bricks produced.
Revelation
Incidents about illegal brick kilns were first reported at 1998. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) On May 1, Chen Jianjiao, representative of Shanxi People's Congress, received a phone call from a laborer who escaped from an illegal kiln seeking help. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. He had also written the chairman of Shanxi People's Congress. Later, slave rescue operations were carried out by provincial government authorities without notifying officials of cities and counties. Over 150 slaves, including 3 child laborers, were saved from these illegal kilns.
There have been continuing reports of cruelty committed at these illegal kilns since 2004. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " On May 7, 2007, Henan TV Metro Channel reported five children (about 16 years of age) were lost around Zhengzhou Railway Station. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Their parents thought these children were kidnapped to brick kilns in Shanxi. After searching for 2 months, about 50 children from Henan were saved, and it was revealed that human traffickers sold their kidnapped children to brick kilns at 500 Yuan each.
On May 10, reporters of Henan TV accompanied by two parents visited these illegal kilns in Shanxi secretly. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. Reporters later visited many illegal kilns in Yuncheng and Jincheng. Yuncheng ( is the southernmost Prefecture-level city in Shanxi Province, China. Jincheng ( Chinese: 晋城 Pinyin: Jìnchéng is a Prefecture-level city in Shanxi province of the People's Republic of China. They understood the situation of slavery there.
Labor conditions
The kiln owners had purchased laborers from human traffickers to use as slaves. The slaves mainly consisted of minors like children and teenagers, who were easier to control. Moreover, kiln owners hired guards and wolfdogs to watch their slaves. These slaves were forced to work over 16 hours every day and any mistakes were punished by brutal torture.
One teenager who was rescued from an illegal kiln said that, during his slavery, he had been taken to another kiln by his boss to watch another slave being brutally killed.
Investigation
Hebei, Guangdong and Xinjiang provinces were also reported to have similar brick kilns.
Government response
As the scandal received immediate media attention, it also caught the eyes of the country's major leaders, including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wen. Wen Jiabao ( (born 15 September 1942 is the Premier of the The scandal was very damaging for Premier Wen's reputation as a "savior for the underprivileged," and has tarnished the Chinese government's reputation internationally. Governor Yu Youjun of Shanxi province offered an unprecedented self-criticism. Yu Youjun ( born January 1953) is a mainland Chinese politician and former governor of Shanxi province The scandal reflects that the rift between the country's rich and poor is not closing, but dividing more quickly than before. Yu resigned as part of a wider reshuffle on 30 August 2007, but (as of early September 2007) it appears likely that he will be promoted after the 17th Party Congress. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China ( Pinyin: Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Dìshíqícì Quánguó Dàibiǎo Dàhuì, abbreviated [1]
In June and July 2007, 570 people in Shanxi and Henan were freed by the Chinese government. ( Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province in the northern part of the People's Republic of China. Henan ( is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country [2] Of those rescued, 69 of them were children. [3] In response, the Chinese government assembled a force of 35,000 police to check northern Chinese brick kilns for slaves, sent dozens of kiln supervisors to prison, punished 95 officials in Shanxi province for dereliction of duty, and sentenced one kiln foreman to death for killing an enslaved worker. [2]
Blue Ribbon Campaign
A group of lawyers from Guangdong raised "Blue Ribbon Campaign" on the Internet to let the public understand the situation of children who are kidnapped and taken to these brick kilns.
See also
References
- ^ Chow Chung-yan (2007-09-05). "Official sacked over Sars fiasco vows to do better in Shanxi". South China Morning Post: A01.
- ^ a b "Convictions in China slave trial", BBC, July 17, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina.
- ^ Zhe, Zhu. "More than 460 rescued from brick kiln slavery", China Daily, June 15, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-01-04. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina.
External links
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