Despite the conditional release of two of the Liaoyang Four on December 20, the four-year long workers campaign in Liaoyang took a drastic and outrageous turn when the other two, Yao Fuxin and Xiao Yunliang, would likely be charged with "subverting the state. This is far beyond the initial crime of illegal assembly, marches and demonstration!
Yaos family was notified on December 26 that his case had been finally brought to the prosecuting office. His wife, Guo Xiujing, expressed worries that Yao would experience more trouble for his leading role in the investigation of corruption at Ferroalloy Factory, which implicated high-ranking officials in the city.
On December 31, Yaos daughter told China Labour Bulletin that the prosecuting office had submitted charges of subversion. CLB confirmed with Yaos Beijing-based lawyer Mo Shaoping that the court officially has seven days to decide to pursue these charges, and that he would be visiting Yao after January 4.
Xiao Yunliangs family has not been formally informed of the charge yet. Xiaos daughter told CLB that the reason given by the court was: Xiao has refused to hire a defense lawyer.
She recalled that in her visit to his father in April 2002, she tried to persuade him to take the lawyer his family had arranged for him. At first, Xiao rejected the idea and said that the government would just do whatever it wanted. He insisted that it was a waste of money, Xiaos daughter said. However, Xiao finally changed his mind, and his daughter was confused when the court told her family that Xiao had refused any defense lawyers.
Released pending trial on December 20, Wang Zhaoming and Pang Qingxiang were formally notified by the Liaoyang prosecuting authority that they would not be charged. But Wangs wife told China Labour Bulletin that at 4pm on December 31, Wang replied to the polices request to come down to the police station and has not been heard from since.
Wang Zhaoming holds firmly that Ferroalloy workers did nothing wrong when they took to the streets en masse in March 2002. We are only asking for our back pay. This is reasonable and legal in every sense. It is our hard-earned money. Why [is the factory] holding it?
The government has done nothing despite our numerous petitions. We were left with no options but taking to the streets, Wang told CLB on December 27.
China Labour Bulletin
2003-01-02