Chinese worker activists jailed

Submitted by martin on 16 May, 2003 - 9:49

By Paul Hampton
Two leading worker activists have been jailed in China for helping organise some of the biggest protests in the country in the past 50 years.
Yao Fuxin and Xiao Yunliang led mass demonstrations last year in protest at unemployment and corruption in Liaoyang city involving 30,000 workers.
The two men were charged with illegal assembly, marching and demonstrating as well as with "subversion". Yao was sentenced to seven years, while Xiao was ordered to serve four years. Despite a heavy police presence 300 workers demonstrated in support of the two men.
China Labour Bulletin (CLB) and other Chinese human rights organisations have strongly condemned the harsh prison sentences. Han Dongfang from the CLB said: "Faced with legitimate protests by workers around the country, the authorities are continuing to use heavy handed repression and detention - and, in particular, they are using the 'law' as a bludgeon to try to intimidate the most well organized workers."
The China Labour Bulletin is co-ordinating an international campaign to secure the release of the two men.

www.china-labour.org.hk for more details.

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