Protest in Hong Kong for the Immediate Release of Detained Liaoyang Workers' Representatives

10 July 2002
Today (July 10), at 4:15pm, around 30 local trade unionists and labour activists marched to the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Foreign Commissioner’s Office) to demand for the immediate release of the detained workers' representatives in Liaoyang.

Protestors chanted ‘Stop suppressing the independent trade union movement in China’, ‘Reclaim the freedom of association’, ‘Reclaim the right to collective bargaining’, and ‘Release the Arrested Labour Activists Now’.

The action was staged in solidarity with brothers and sisters all over the world on this ‘International Day of Action to Release the Liaoyang Five’, which was jointly launched by CLB and the International Liaison Committee for a Workers’ International (ILC).

Outside the Foreign Commissioner’s Office, a spokesperson from the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions read out the open letter co-signed by HKCTU, China Labour Bulletin, Hong Kong Christian Industrial Committee and Asia Monitor Resource Center.

We made clear our position that the 4 Liaoyang workers’ representatives arrested in March -- Yao Fuxin, Pang Qingxiang, Xiao Yunliang and Wang Zhaoming -- were simply exercising the basic worker’ rights to organise and demand for back pay and basic livelihood. And we presented our demands to the Chinese government and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

-- that the 4 workers’ representatives should be released immediately; and
-- that the basic workers’ rights to organise and bargain collectively, enshrined in ILO Conventions No.87 and 98, should be upheld.

On March 11 and 12, Yao Fuxin led a demonstration of 17,000 workers from Liaoyang Ferro-alloy Factory and 5 other factories demanding for a basic livelihood after failed attempts to request the central authorities to investigate how the state factory was forced into bankruptcy by corrupt local officials. He was, however, abducted on March 17. On March 20, Pang Qingxiang, Xiao Yunliang and Wang Zhaoming were brutally arrested after demonstrating at the Liaoyang government office for the release of Yao.

They are currently detained at Tieling Detention Center on charges of ‘illegal demonstration’.


(Source: China Labour Bulletin)

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Online: 2002-07-10
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