China Labour Bulletin Press Release

2003-01-07

Mo Shaoping, Yao Fuxin’s lawyer, confirmed for CLB that the Liaoyang Court has accepted the charges of subversion against Yao Fuxin and Xiao Yunliang and expects the trial will proceed by mid-January. Since January 4th when the meeting of the Liaoyang City People’s Congress and People's Political Consultative Conference began, the families of Yao and Xiao have been visited everyday by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and warned not to take part in any demonstration on the worker’s behalf. In an attempt to keep the workers families from publicizing the workers cause and seeking support, Yao Fuxin’s home phone was cut off on January 4th as well.

Xiao Yunliang’s wife, told CLB that for more than nine months she has listened to the warning of the PSB and has kept a low profile so as not to cause further trouble for her husband. “Now I know the futility of listening to the police,” she said, “it has only made matters worse”. “Now the whole family will take a public stand for the workers. We will do whatever it takes, even sell the house and all our possessions, to fight for their case”.

The detention of the Liaoyang Four has not deterred other workers from fighting for the same rights that took the Ferroalloy workers to the street in the first place. Only last week, retired workers in Suizhou city in Hubei Province took action to protest cuts in their retirement subsidies and corruption in the Tieshu Textile Corporation. (For more details see "Retired Workers Protest in Suizhou, Hubei Province" [2])

The other two workers, Wang Zhaoming and Pang Qingxiang, were released on bail on December 20th but told they would not be formally charged. However Wang’s wife told China Labour Bulletin that at 4pm on December 31, Wang replied to the police’s request to come down to the police station and has not been heard from since.

Han Dongfang, CLB Executive Director, said “We are appalled by the actions of the Liaoyang PSB and by the decision of the Liaoyang Court to pursue the charges of subversion. The PSB has no right to intimidate the families of the Liaoyang workers.” CLB urges the international community to join us in demanding the release of the Liaoyang Four. The four workers were exercising their established rights of freedom of expression and collective bargaining and all charges should be dropped.