(Broadcast on November 12, 2002)
On November 11, 2002, at a press conference held during the recent 16th Party Congress in Beijing, ACFTU Deputy Chair Zhang Junjiu claimed that Yao Fuxin and three other labour organisers who had organised protests against corruption at the Liaoyang Ferroalloy Factory were being held for car-bombing. The next day, the official newspaper Shang Bao (Commercial Times) reported Zhang Junjiu's remarks that people involved in violent activities such as burning cars, beating, smashing property and looting would be dealt with according to the law in any country. However when asked if Yao Fuxin or any other of the detained workers representatives had blown up any cars during their petitioning activities, an official at the Liaoyang government's General Office said that he had not heard anything of the sort.
Official:
I haven't heard of or seen anything like that.
Han Dongfang [Han]:
You haven't heard anything?
Official:
No. Not at all.
Han:
Did they take part in any other kind of violent activities?
Official:
No. Not that I have heard of.
Chairman Su of the Liaoyang Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) told me that such talk of car-bombing by Yao or the other representatives was sheer fabrication.
Han:
Hello. Is that the LFTU?
Chairman Su:
Yes.
Han:
Is Chairman Su in there please?
Chairman Su:
Who is speaking?
Han:
Are you Chairman Su?
Chairman Su:
Yes.
Han:
Hello. My name is Han and I am calling from China Labour Bulletin. I'd like to clear up a matter concerning the Ferroalloy Factory petition back in March this year. When they were petitioning, were there any incidents of car-bombing?
Chairman Su:
Absolutely not!
Han:
None at all?
Chairman Su:
No!
Han:
Was there any violence at all during the petitions?
Chairman Su:
No!
Han:
It was all peaceful?
Chairman Su:
Yes. Everything was peaceful.
Han:
We have heard reports that Yao Fuxin was involved in car bombing.
Chairman Su:
That is sheer rumour. There is no way that Yao Fuxin was involved in such activities.
Han:
None at all?
Chairman Su:
No. No!
Han:
What was the most serious incident?
Chairman Su:
Nothing was especially serious. They were just going to the government to petition and voice their views - nothing more than that. There was no violence or extreme behaviour of any sort.
Han:
From the perspective as trade unionists, would you say that any of the street activities actually constituted criminal behaviour? I mean purely from what they have done.
Chairman Su:
Not that I can see.
Han:
Has the ACFTU headquarters been in touch with your offices in Liaoyang?
Chairman Su:
No. I am not aware of it.
Han:
But you can confirm there was no car-bombing?
Chairman Su:
Absolutely! That is a rumour.
An official from the Liaoyang government security office also confirmed that there were no incidents of car bombing. He said there was one incident during the petitions when a large number of workers poured into the government office's canteen during lunch hour and ate all the canteen's steamed bread.
Han:
Hello. Is that the Liaoyang government security office?
Security Office:
Yes.
Han:
Can you confirm for us that during the Ferroalloy Factory workers' petition in March, some cars were burnt? Did anything like that happen?
Security Office:
No.
Han:
Not at all?
Security Office:
No. Where did you get your information from?
Han:
We heard that Yao Fuxin had led workers into burning cars. Was there anything like that?
Security Office:
No.
Han:
Was there any violence in the whole petitioning activity?
Security Office:
We know that Yao Fuxin led the workers into the canteen and they stole all the food in there.
Han:
Which canteen?
Security Office:
The government office?s canteen. All the steamed bread got nicked. There were a lot of people there at the time and everyone was on a roll. Yao Fuxin was up on a platform shouting that there was food in the canteen so let's go and eat it. Everyone just went up to the canteen.
Han:
I see. So that's what happened. So there was definitely no car-burning?
Security Office:
No.
Retired Ferroalloy Factory worker Guo Xiujing said that the canteen incident had indeed taken place but this was not at the instigation of the workers' representatives. The four detained representatives had successfully stopped the workers from blocking the railway lines on many occasions so why would they encourage the workers to loot the public canteen?
Guo:
I heard that they went up to the canteen but it was nothing like they (the government) describe it. I mean, it's hardly likely is it. The representatives were very cautious as they were afraid of any repercussions. They were particularly worried about the younger workers getting carried away and there would be trouble. But they prevented anything like that happening. They had to act responsibly or there would have been trouble and then what could they have done? They did not lead the workers into illegal activities. That?s just not possible and they were very prudent. At the time when people were on the streets they were telling everyone that they had to respect the law and regulations. That?s what they were telling people.
Han:
What were the most extreme demands of the workers?
Guo:
To block the railway tracks.
Han:
And how did the workers' representatives react to that demand?
Guo:
They wouldn?t allow it! They stopped it.
Han:
They stopped it.
Guo:
That's right. Otherwise how is it that there were no disciplinary problems with the Ferroalloy workers? Everything was under control and there were no problems. The representatives had to keep things like this and if it wasn't for them who knows what would have happened at Ferroalloy. That?s why the workers haven't forgotten their representatives and feel remorse. Everyone figures that we chose them [as our representatives] and pushed them to the front of the struggle and now they have been detained. Some of the workers' demands have been met and others are still outstanding such as welfare arrangements etc. Everyone feels very deeply about this business and they will not forget the people in detention.