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Another seven people went on trial on Friday in north China's Shanxi Province in connection with a string of forced labor scandals in brick kilns first exposed in early June.

 

Chen Zhiming and five other defendants were accused of forcing workers to work in brick kilns owned by Wang Bingbing in Caosheng Village, Guangshengsi Township, Hongtong County, from March to late May this year, a court in Hongtong County heard.

 

The six people, employed by foreman Heng Tinghan in March as enforcers, confessed that they were ordered by Heng to supervise the kiln workers and to beat "lazy" workers.

 

The workers were forced to work from about 5 o'clock in the morning till 10 or even 11 o'clock at night, according to Chen.

 

During the period, 18 workers were injured, one seriously, in shocking working conditions, according to the local procuratorate.

 

Also on Friday, Heng Tinghan's wife, Yang Xiaolan, was tried on charges of harboring a criminal by the court in Hongtong County.

 

No verdicts were reached on Friday.

 

Kiln boss Wang Bingbing, foreman Heng Tinghan and employees Zhao Yanbing, Heng Mingyang and Liu Dongsheng are still being tried by the Intermediate People's Court of Linfen City of Shanxi Province.

 

Courts in different cities and counties of Shanxi have so far tried another 29 people in connection with the forced labor scandals. They faced charges such as forcing laborers to work for them in unspeakable conditions and intentionally injuring other people.

 

To date, no verdicts have been reached.

 

The use of forced laborers hit the headlines after more than 400 parents in central China's Henan Province posted a call-for-help letter on the internet last month, saying their missing children had been sold to small brick kilns in Shanxi and Henan as forced laborers.

 

By June 22, 359 people, including 12 children, had been rescued from illegal brick kilns in Shanxi and police had arrested 38 people. Police in Henan rescued 217 people, including 29 children, and arrested 120 people in a four-day crackdown.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2007)