China's slave scandal kilns used 53,000 illegal workers

China's slave scandal kilns used 53,000 illegal workers | Monday June 25, 2007

Brick kilns and mines at the centre of a slavery scandal used more than 53,000 illegal migrant workers, state media reported Monday, as the probe into the abuses spread.

Fan Duixiang, a senior member of the Shanxi provincial congress, said investigations found that 2,036 of the 3,347 firms it had raided were operating without the necessary licences and illegally using 53,036 migrant workers, a Xinhua report said.
...
So far nearly 600 people, including dozens of under-aged children, have been released from slavery in Shanxi and neighbouring Henan province. ...