China's Labor Issue

We continue to delve deeper into China and its success as well as its failures, one of the most interesting, yet depressing facts that I have discovered during this class is the wide spread of child labor. I am the father of two kids, one is more of a man than a child these days, but my daughter is only 8 years old. She is still innocent and makes being a dad one of the greatest pleasures in life. It pains me to know that there are girls her age and even younger separated from their families while working in slave-like or even worst environments. Who knows what true atrocities that these young people suffer. They have no defense systems, little to no local advocacy, no contact with their families, live in inhumane conditions and are basically treated as beasts of burden. They have one responsibility and that is to produce so that a profit is made down the line. Wal-Mart, Kmart, Kathy Lee Gifford, Michael Jordan, Nike, the list is unfortunately too long, but all of these entities have been caught up in the recent discovery of child labor camps and sweatshops. There has been an appropriate response from those that I listed, but how many other brands or celebrities are unknowingly involved in this horrible work force?
Education in China’s rural areas is struggling; kids are often needed to work in the fields as they help provide for the family. The urban areas with its incredible migrant growth are facing these same challenges as every penny is needed to survive. It is estimated that 10 million children under 16 are not in school and more than half of those are suspected of working in factories. In China’s most populated province Sichuan, it is estimated that 85% of kids under 16 are working instead of attending school.
There have also been reports of kidnappings, where children are stolen and forced to work in labor camps. Hundreds of kids as young as my daughter are stolen from their families and forced into slave camps. This is 2008, can you believe that this is possible? Howard French of the New York Times writes Kidnapped children in China forced into slave labor. (June 16, 2007). French tells the horrifying story of a brother and sister kidnapped while vacationing in Qingdao. Fortunately, the brother escaped and he and his father rescued the sister, but this is one of many similar stories.
The following piece is from the Los Angeles Times and it clearly shows the tragedy that exists in modern China as they go from Mao to Market. The entire article is very informative; however the following is just an excerpt describing the ordeal of the children and their parents following the girls’ assignment in a local factory. After reading it I wanted to hug my kids and thank God that America is truly blessed.

China's Use of Child Labor Emerges from the Shadows,By Ching-Ching Ni, The Los Angeles Times, Friday 13 May 2005………….
The deaths of five girls draw attention to the practice, common in struggling rural areas.
Beixinzhuang, China - Christmas was just two days away and snow was falling when the five factory girls finished their shift. They'd been working for 12 hours, it was already after 1 a.m., and their dorm was freezing cold. One of them ran out to grab a bucket and some burning coal. The room warmed slightly. They drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, none of them woke up. They had been poisoned by the fumes. But their parents believe at least two of the girls died much more horrible deaths.
They charge that the owner of the canvas-making factory was so impatient to cover up the fact that three of the unconscious workers were underage that he rushed the girls into caskets while some were still alive.
"You see the damage on the corner of the box, the bruises on the side of her head, and the vomit in her hair?" said Jia Haimin, the mother of 14-year-old Wang Yajuan, pointing to pictures of her daughter lying in a cardboard casket stained with vomit and appearing to show evidence of a struggle. "Dead people can't bang their heads against the box. Dead people can't vomit. My child was still alive when they put her in there."

This story is one of millions across China. The Chinese media’s impotence because of CCP control and the people’s fear of the government allows for many of these tragedies to go unreported or covered up by the local authorities. With China’s internet frenzy and the global attention on China’s labor practices, perhaps these situations will soon end. I will certainly re-consider the purchase of any product made in China.
Kevin