Yao Fuxin, born on 29 September 1950 and now 52 years old. Yao is a former worker at Liaoyang Steel Rolling Mill in Liaoyang. His interest in local affairs and the redundancy of his wife, Guo Xiujing, who used to work at the Liaoyang Ferro-Alloy Factory led in part to his involvement in the protests. He was elected in an informal election as one of the representatives of the protesting workers and had been involved in helping organize the workers for several years before his detention in March 2002.
Yao Fuxin, was detained on 17 March for his role in leading 2,000 workers from the Ferroalloy Factory along with a further 15,000 workers from five other factories in Liaoyang in a protest on 11-12 March 2002 against corruption and demanding the payment of wage arrears and pensions. On 30 March Yao Fuxin was formally charged with Illegal demonstration and assembly. At his trial Yao Fuxin denied all charges of subversion and restated his belief in the government and his original desire to see the plight of the workers resolved.
Yao Fuxin had received little formal education after he was sent down to the countryside as a youth in the 1960s. However, he is an avid reader and taught himself law among other things. Yao Fuxin is of medium height and used to be slightly plump before his detention. According to his family he is frank and trusting with a sympathetic face. His hair has turned grey while in detention.
Yao is married with one daughter, Yao Dan who is 25 years old. Yao Dan has been tireless in supporting her mother and trying to obtain her fathers release. After he became unemployed Yao and his wife Guo set up a small grocery store for neghbouring homes. This small store became a place neighbouring workers most of them from the Liaoyang Ferro-Alloy Factory - came to sit, drink tea and discuss the events in Liaoyang and the plight of the unemployed workers. Xiao Yunliang was among the frequent visitors. For this reason, the local PSB viewed the shop as a hotbed of labour activism and it was often targeted in surveillance.
The family told CLB that Yao Fuxin and his wife often gave free goods to the poorest families living nearby. One family in particular received frequent meals and free goods from Yao and his family. While detained, his family told CLB that he had given away his warm clothes to prisoners who were cold and weak
In another story given to CLB Yao and Xiao Yunliang both intervened with Factory officials to successfully get months of missing medical benefits for a local man in his 70s. This was after they had seen his wife begging on her knees in front of the Factory manager who has ignored her pleas for money.
Xiao Yunliang
Xiao Yunliang was born on 6 May 1946 and now 57 years old. Xiao is a retired worker from the Liaoyang Ferro-Alloy factory and he had not been paid any wages or other benefits for the 24 months prior to the March demonstrations. He used to belong to the Peoples Liberation Army and it is said that that is where he got his upright bearing. Since his detention he has reportedly changed from being a tall man of medium build into a hunched and painfully thin old man. His wife, Su Anhua used to be a plump middle aged housewife but she too has become thin and is weak.
Xiao Yunliang was detained on 20 March 2002, with two other workers from the Ferro-Alloy factory, Pang Qingxiang, and Wang Zhaoming, after a demonstration demanding the release of Yao Fuxin. On 30 March Xiao Yunliang was formally charged with illegal demonstration and assembly. At his trial Xiao Yunliang also denied all charges of subversion and restated his belief in the government and his original desire to see the plight of the workers resolved.
According to his family Xiao is a serious and candid man who is quick to speak out against injustice and wrong doing. His honesty often irritates some but he has earned the respect and trust of many. Xiao is married with three daughters.
While in the detention centre at Tieling, he reportedly attempted to stop fights from breaking out between inmates and several of the ex prisoners have sent words of encouragement and support to his family. While in the centre he often told others that he would leave before them - unfortunately he now faces four years in prison.
In late April 2003, one ex prisoner visited the family to express how much respect they had for Xiao such a good man and how much sympathy they had with him and his struggle for the rights of ordinary people.
Xiao Yunliang is now in poor health. He is reportedly suffering from an eye condition which if not treated could reportedly lead to blindness. His failing eyesight has been noted since his trial when he was barely able to walk and could not see further than a few feet. On 17 April, Xiao was diagnosed as being blind in one eye with a cataract a condition easily treated with simple surgery. He is at grave risk of losing the sight in his other eye because of the condition floaters which he is believed to have developed after he was pushed into the police car when he was arrested. There are additional reports that he may be suffering from tuberculosis, probably contracted while in detention.