80 workers – slaves freed in China

Chinese Police freed 80 workers who were deprived of food, beaten and forced to work for 14 and more hours a day in the brick plants or in small mines in central China.

The Police found these workers, some of whom were 8-year-olds, in the provinces of Henan and Chancy while carrying out raids in the brick plants and small mines.

After that Police action, total number of freed workers-slaves in the past month grew to 548.

The Police in the province of Chancy engaged more than 14,000 policemen in the control of about 2,500 brick plants and mine and, as a result, tens of people have been arrested.

The action of the Police took place after the open letter of the group of about 400 fathers who appealed for help in finding their children who were believed to have been sold to the owners of the brick plants.

Chinese media announced that the workers had been “recruited” on bus stations with the false promises or that they were taken from the streets and then sold to the brick plants for 65 USD per worker.

Chinese President Hu Đintao ordered investigation on the occasion of the news about existence of the slave manpower.