Another seven people went on trial on Friday in north China's Shanxi Province in connection with a string of
forced labor scandals in brick kilns first exposed in early
June.
Chen Zhiming and five other defendants were accused of forcing
workers to work in brick kilns owned by Wang Bingbing in Caosheng
Village, Guangshengsi Township, Hongtong County, from March to late
May this year, a court in Hongtong County heard.
The six people, employed by foreman Heng Tinghan in March as
enforcers, confessed that they were ordered by Heng to supervise
the kiln workers and to beat "lazy" workers.
The workers were forced to work from about 5 o'clock in the
morning till 10 or even 11 o'clock at night, according to Chen.
During the period, 18 workers were injured, one seriously, in
shocking working conditions, according to the local
procuratorate.
Also on Friday, Heng Tinghan's wife, Yang Xiaolan, was tried on
charges of harboring a criminal by the court in Hongtong
County.
No verdicts were reached on Friday.
Kiln boss Wang Bingbing, foreman Heng Tinghan and employees Zhao
Yanbing, Heng Mingyang and Liu Dongsheng are still being tried by
the Intermediate People's Court of Linfen City of Shanxi
Province.
Courts in different cities and counties of Shanxi have so far
tried another 29 people in connection with the forced labor
scandals. They faced charges such as forcing laborers to work for
them in unspeakable conditions and intentionally injuring other
people.
To date, no verdicts have been reached.
The use of forced laborers hit the headlines after more than 400
parents in central China's Henan Province posted a call-for-help letter
on the internet last month, saying their missing children had been
sold to small brick kilns in Shanxi and Henan as forced
laborers.
By June 22, 359 people, including 12 children, had been rescued
from illegal brick kilns in Shanxi and police had arrested 38
people. Police in Henan rescued 217 people, including 29 children,
and arrested 120 people in a four-day crackdown.
(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2007)