Part 1: Head of Liaoyang Ferroalloy Factory Arrested
Part 2: Burnt Women Workers in Chongqing "Treated" by Barefoot Doctors
(Broadcast on August 2, 2002)
Head of Liaoyang Ferroalloy Factory Arrested
According to an August 1 report by the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, the Liaoyang Ferrous Metal Alloy Factory workers' massive street protests in Liaoyang city, Liaoning province, which started in March demanding the government put an end to corruption, has yielded some results. Former factory director Fan Yicheng has been arrested under the orders of the Liaoyang city procuratorate. However, the four workers' representatives, who were arrested at the negotiations held with the Ferroalloy Factory and the government concerning anti-corruption problems, are still under arrest. Guo Xiujing, the wife of arrested workers' representative Yao Fuxin, told me [Han Dongfang] on the phone that the public security bureau has not yet permitted Yao to meet with his lawyer.
Guo:
Yes. It was announced on the 26th on TV. [First] it was broadcast on TV, and then it was in all the newspapers. Fan Yicheng has already been brought to justice, and [corruption] was really a problem at the factory, so what crime have [the four arrested workers] ever committed? Logically, they should have been released the next day. Well, logically it should have been like that, but there's still no news about them. If the Ferroalloy Factory workers haven't done all this, the Liaoyang city [government] wouldn't be making any arrests now. The city [government] is going after the old-timers now. We workers have been correct, we have been fighting against corruption for five years now, but the city government wouldn't take it seriously; that's how all these things have happened lately. All these [events] have a reason. Last Monday I called public security bureau chief Wu. I said, "This is Yao Fuxin's wife... It is so hot this summer. He has nothing at all to wear in summer, not even a pair of shorts and a vest." After I finished Wu told me, "The public security has bought him all these things." I said, "I want to go and see him, and send him something to wear." Then he said, "That's impossible. What we say here doesn't count. It's what they say up there that counts." I have no idea who this one 'up there' is. He just said 'up there they said so.' After that, I asked him about the lawyer. I said, "Didn't the public security bureau ask us to hire lawyers in the beginning? Then why haven't you allowed a meeting with the lawyer yet? Then why still deny us a meeting?' Then he said, "What we say here doesn't count. It's what they say up there that counts."
Mo Shaoping of the Beijing Mo Shaoping Law Firm agreed to be the defense lawyer for Yao Fuxin. Mr. Mo told me on the phone that Liaoyang city public security bureau's action of denying a legal representative to meet with his client is illegal.
Mo Shaoping:
We have submitted all the necessary applications to the public security authority. What we demand now is to meet [our client]. He has already been incarcerated for over 4 months. Since he has already engaged a lawyer, a meeting is his legal right! But the public security says that they have to wait for permission from the leadership. But it has been delayed till now; although it has been [delayed] for quite a while, they haven't given us a clear answer. So we sent them a letter saying that what they have been doing was certainly against proper legal procedures. [Yao's case] is not a case involving state secrets, and it doesn't need any permission at all. The public security just won't give me a direct answer. If I call, they just hang up or simply switch off the mobile phones as soon as I get through.
Han:
When did you send them this letter reminding themof the relevant legal procedures?
Mo:
It should at least be more than 20 days. After they failed to reply, we sent them another letter saying that they must arrange a meeting [for Yao] with his lawyers and that what they were doing was illegal. [We received] no reply whatsoever. In the beginning they said they would seek directives from the leadership, later they practically refused to answer. We are now preparing to send copies of this letter to the procuratorate and the provincial public security bureau, requesting them to rectify the Liaoyang public security bureau's illegal practice.
Guo Xiuqing said since there were already quite a number of government officials in Liaoyang kicked out of office and arrested as a result of the anti-corruption campaign started by the Ferroalloy Factory workers, she was worried that some people in the government would take revenge against the 4 workers' representatives.
Guo:
On that day, immediately after the [arrest of] Fan Yicheng was announced, a lot of people ran up to me and said, "As Fan Yicheng has been arrested now, old Yao and the others will be coming back soon." I said, if they arrested Fan Yicheng, the city government couldn't just release these [four] people. They would try their best to figure out how to fix them with some accusations. They would wrack their brains and go out of their way to indiscriminately fix these few guys with something. I tell you, long ago, didn't Yao Fuxin join the Chinese Democratic Party?
Han:
Are they still bringing this up?
Guo:
Ah, they brought it up again this time! They said it involved political problems. I guess it's all about this. [The Chinese Democratic Party] has been very quiet, and [Yao] was not involved at all. He just signed up. That's all.
I called the Liaoyang city government and asked the official who answered the call:
Han:
Is the group of anti-corruption Ferroalloy Factory workers going to be released?
Official:
This matter... Why do you ask?
Han:
It looks like they were right in fighting for that in the beginning. Am I right?
Official:
How can you say that?
Han:
Well, didn't they originally want the government to punish corruption?
Official:
What does it have to do with them? What demand could they have? They were just raising trouble! Otherwise why were they arrested?
Then I called the complaint office of the Liaoyang city party committee disciplinary committee, and asked the cadre who took the call:
Han:
Was the action by the workers helpful in pushing this case [the arrest of Fan Yicheng]?
Cadre:
I can't say.
Han:
Then do all these workers, who took to the streets in March for anti-corruption, have a chance to be released?
Cadre:
At present the case is under investigation, and it is hard to say what the final conclusion will be. It's still going on. There is no final conclusion because it's not over yet.
Han:
Then when will it probably finish?
Cadre:
It's not for me to say.
Burnt Women Workers in Chongqing 'Treated' by Barefoot Doctors
(broadcast on August 2, 2002)
Recently several industrial accidents occurred nationwide. According to a Xinhua report on July 31, five female workers were injured when a fire broke out on July 26 in a private metal factory (Note) in Shuitu county, Beipei district, Chongqing. It was reported that the factory owner didn't want to spend money on medical treatments, and just put the five injured women in an apartment and asked a barefoot doctor to treat them. Their injuries deteriorated because of this. I called the Shuitu county clinic. A female worker of this particular factory happened to be there, looking after her injured sister. She told me that the workers' injuries improved after they were transferred to the county clinic. This worker also answered some questions I asked about working conditions in the enterprise:
Han Dongfang:
What relation are you to the injured?
Worker:
She is from the [same] factory.
Han:
She is from your factory?
Worker:
Yes, a sister from the factory.
Han:
Your sister was wounded?
Worker:
Yes, that's right.
Han:
Do you work in the same factory too?
Worker:
Yes, that's right.
Han:
Where was she wounded?
Worker:
Her hands and feet.
Han:
How many people are there in your factory?
Worker:
Over ninety people.
Han:
Are they all local people?
Worker:
Yes.
Han:
Did the boss get industrial accident insurance coverage for you?
Worker:
No, he didn't get that.
Han:
He didn't?
Worker:
No.
Han:
Did you sign a labour contract?
Worker:
No, we didn't.
Han:
Not even that?
Worker:
No.
Han:
Do you have any medical insurance?
Worker:
No, we don't.
Han:
What about the pension fund?
Worker:
We don't have that either! (Bitter laugh.)
Han:
How is your monthly salary calculated?
Worker:
The salary is calculated by piece rates.
Han:
By piece rate?
Worker:
Yes.
Han:
How long do you work every day?
Worker:
Usually eight or nine hours.
Han:
Eight or nine hours?
Worker:
Yes.
Han:
Do you have Saturdays an Sundays off?
Worker:
No, we don't.
Han:
How long has this factory been running?
Worker:
Almost four years!
Han:
Almost four years?
Worker:
Yes. Almost four years. I was here too when the factory just started.
Han:
Oh, you were there when it just started?
Worker:
Yes.
Han:
And you did not sign any labour contract in these four years?
Worker:
No.
Han:
Is there a trade union in the factory?
Worker:
I have no idea what a union is!
Han:
Do you know that trade unions are supposed to protect the workers' rights?
Worker:
I don't know anything about that either!
I reached Zhang Zhiquan, the 65-year-old owner of the factory, and he claimed that he would get the insurance procedures done as soon as the incident was settled.
Zhang Zhiquan:
I did not insure the factory property or personnel at the time.
Han:
Why did you not get insurance right from the beginning?
Zhang:
It's because our enterprise just started developing and some of the employees were not permanent.
Han:
So, is there a plan to get insurance later?
Zhang:
That's for sure.
Han:
Then when do you plan to do that?
Zhang:
Maybe after we settle this in August, then I'll start [the procedures].
Han:
Is it like the saying "better late than never?"
Zhang:
Well, it seems there's no other way.
Han:
Are you sure you'll get insurance?
Zhang:
Yes, for sure.
(Note: According to the report, the factory's main business is manufacturing of motorcycle parts. The cause of the accident is thought to be an explosive fire caused by overheated gasoline which the workers used to strip paint.) back