Free the Liaoyang Two!

Submitted by AWL on 9 April, 2005 - 9:21

An appeal for Chinese worker activists

Xiao Yunliang and Yao Fuxin were arrested in March 2002 for leading 30,000 laid-off workers from the Liaoyang Ferro-Alloy Plant, and other local factories, in street protests. The workers were protesting against alleged managerial corruption and demanding many months of unpaid wages.

In June 2003, Xiao was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, Yao was given a seven-year prison sentence, both on charges of political "subversion".

Now they are imprisoned far from their families. Both suffer poor health. On 21 January 2005, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) wrote to President Hu Jintao and the PRC Minister of Justice, Zhang Fusen, requesting the immediate release of both labour activists on compassionate medical grounds. The Liaoyang 2 have committed no crime: they should be released immediately!

Petition for their release and more details: China Labour Bulletin.

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