China hunts for eight suspects in slave scandal

BEIJING, June 26 (Reuters) Chinese police are hunting for eight people suspected of enslaving and beating workers, including children, in brick kilns, state media reported today.

The Ministry of Public Security has issued arrest warrants and offered rewards of 10,000 yuan for information leading to the arrest of the suspects, the official Xinhua news agency said.

''Since March 2007, a series of cases happened in Shanxi in which unlicensed kiln owners limited workers' freedom, illegally hired child-labourers, forced them to work heavily, maimed or even killed them,'' it quoted the warrant as saying.

The suspects were from the central province of Hebei and Henan and northwestern Gansu, the Beijing News said.

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 workers endured prison-like confinement, with fierce dogs and beatings. Released workers were shown on television with injuries and emaciated bodies.

Police had detained more than 130 people over their involvement, formally arrested 10, and rescued more than 500 people, according to state media.

Reuters SLD DB1038