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.
A parent looks for a his lost child at a brick kiln at Liuwu
Village in Yuncheng, in China's Shanxi Province June 15,
2007. [AP] |
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 head 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 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.