China hunts for 20 suspects in slave scandal

BEIJING, June 19 (Reuters) Chinese police are hunting for about 20 people suspected of enslaving workers in brick kilns, a spokesman said today, a scandal which came to light only this month due to what media said was official complicity.

Police have detained about 130 people and issued warrants for the arrest of five since the scandal erupted. Hundreds of farmers, teenagers and even some children were trapped or cheated into gruelling work in kilns, mines and foundries in the northern province of Shanxi and nearby Henan.

''The Ministry of Public Security attaches great importance to the case,'' ministry spokesman Wu Heping told a news conference, adding that more than 500 people had been rescued.

''We will severely punish those responsible according to law,'' he said.

The workers endured prison-like confinement, with fierce dogs and beatings, local media reported. Released workers were shown on television with festering wounds and emaciated bodies.

Police have come under fire from domestic media and victims' relatives for failing to react fast enough. Some officials and police were even accused of colluding with kiln owners.

Media have demanded official resignations.

The father of Wang Bingbing, a kiln owner in police custody, has been sacked as Communist Party boss of Chaosheng village in Shanxi province and stripped of his Party membership, the Beijing News reported.

The internal Public Security Ministry watchdog is investigating and trying to verify accusations of government complicity, a watchdog official said.

Asked about the scale of the problem, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said: ''In China, does systematic widespread use and exploitation of children exist? You've worked in China for many years, so you should be able to reach an objective and accurate answer.'' ''No matter whether it's the Chinese government, China's leaders or all quarters of Chinese society, they all attach high-level concern to this.'' REUTERS JK VV1558