Six civil servants in connection with the forced labor scandal
in north China's Shanxi Province are being investigated for
dereliction, sources with the local procuratorate said on
Saturday.
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The six people include Wei Xiong, head of the land and resources
office of Guangshengsi town of Hongtong county; Cao Jun, another
official with the office; Guo Weimin and Wei Shihong, both vice
heads of the industry and commerce office of Guangshengsi; and
local policemen Xi Zhiqiang and Li Ding.
Wei Xiong and Cao Jun failed to close down the brick kiln after
they learnt of its illegal operation.
Guo Weimin and Wei Shihong were suspected of making no
inspections to the brick kilns, resulting in the rampancy of
illegal kilns.
Xi Zhiqiang, who was in charge of the area where the brick kilns
are located, did not keep a record of the workers from outside and
made no inspections. Li Ding was allegedly turning a blind eye to
the migrant workers without temporary residential cards in the
brick kiln.
Police authorities have put 35 people under criminal detention
and are hunting for 20 others involved in the forced labor scandal
at illegal brick kilns in Shanxi.
Two labor watchdog officers in Yongji City of Shanxi have been
detained by local police in connection with the slavery
scandal.
The use of slave workers hit the headlines after a
"call-for-help" letter was posted on the Internet earlier this
month by more than 400 parents in Henan who believed their missing
children had been sold to the small brick kilns as slave
workers.
A total of 359 people, including 12 children, have been rescued
from illegal brick kilns in Shanxi.
(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2007)