Members of many Labour NGOs in Guangdong have been detained by the police out of the blue. Their offices raided and some activists remained out of reach. Chen Huihai, the manager of Haige Labour Service Center, has told the media before being out of reach, that this prosecution is initiated by the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and is a concerted effort to suppress the Labour NGOs.
Various media sources have reported the incident as the greatest suppression against local labour NGOs since the arrest of Guangdong labour activist Liu Shaoming in May this year. It is analysed that matter is closely related to the rise of workers’ protests upon widespread bankruptcy or closure of factories in recent years. Labour NGOs have repeatedly assisted workers to bargain with the employers and the government, as the third party in collective bargaining and as the workers’ legal advisors. This contributed to frequent and intense conflicts between the NGOs and the local government.
It is reported that, in the morning of 3 December, the police seized the office of Haige Labour Service Center (previously Guangdong Labour Weiquan Lawy Firm Workers Training Unit), and taking away members including Bin xue, He bīng, Deng Xiaoming and workers Huang Dongmei, Cheng Nengwen.
At the same time, members of Panyu Migrant Worker and Sunflower Female Workers Center Zeng Feiyang, Zhu Xiaomei, Luo Hongmei, Peng Jiayong have also been taken away.
When Chen was interviewed earlier on, he indicated that he has hidden in a hotel room and would not be surprised if he is to be taken away. Recalling the restriction to crossing the border last month, he told the media that is going to be a massive suppression,
“The news is only confirmed about half an hour ago. They have spread their nest wide to catch us all. 4 members of my office are all charged. I am fortunate that I went to the government offices to obtain business information this afternoon that I am not yet found. But I guess I could not escape. I am now in a hotel room, hiding, but I could not escape from their surveillane. They have told me expressly that they are to take me away. You dont have to go, you cannot escape anyways, they said.”
That reporter tried to contact Chen a hour later but in vain. Fuhua police station later confirmed that Bin Xue are there but they refused to say further. The officer later said that the authority in action is Criminal Division and the National Security Division, not the police station itself.
Radio Free Asia later confirmed that 4 members of the Haige Labour Service Center were released after taking statements, but others were still out of reach.
Besides, Foshan Nan Fei Yan Labour NGO manager He Xiaobo is arrested by a charge of financial misappropriation.
Translated: Red Balloon Solidarity
中文全文:
廣東工廠倒閉潮 NGO助勞工維權被打壓 多名負責人失蹤
文:立場新聞
廣東多個關注勞工權益的非政府組織突然遭到警方「掃蕩」,部分負責人失去聯絡,截至昨日傍晚仍毫無音訊。當中「海哥勞工服務部」主任陳輝海,失去聯絡前向傳媒表示,此次的抓捕行動由市公安局牽頭,是針對整個勞工NGO的打壓。
助勞工維權 與地方政府矛盾加劇
中國維權網指出,這是繼今年5月30日對廣東勞工權益保障人士劉少明抓捕後,廣東當局對本地勞工NGO的一次全面掃蕩。近年來,由於廣東地區工廠倒閉潮的來臨,大量工人加入了維權行列,而勞工NGO由於經常協助工人與資方、政府展開三方集體談判,提供法律意見,也因此與地方政府的矛盾愈演愈烈。
自由亞洲電台報道,昨日(12月3日)上午,多名警察來到位於廣州番禺區的海哥勞工服務部(原廣東勞維律師事務所工人培訓部),當時在服務部辦公室內工作的賓雪、何兵以及兩名到訪的工友黃冬梅、成能文被警察帶走。另一名員工鄧小明也在返回辦公室後遭到控制。
多人失去聯絡
與此同時,「番禺打工族」、「向陽花女工中心」的負責人及員工曾飛揚、朱小梅、駱紅梅、彭家勇等4人失去聯繫。
該台記者當天下午2點多以電話聯絡上陳輝海,他表示目前躲藏在一間酒店內,但預料很快也會被警方帶走。陳輝海說,上個月他突然被限制出境,相信此次打壓行動針對整個勞工NGO群體:
「半個小時前才確定,他們是撒開大網全部抓捕,我們4個辦公室的(員工)全部被控。雖然我今天中午由於去區政府拿些工商資料僥倖走出,但是我估計我也走不了。我目前雖然躲在一個酒店裡面,但他們的那種監控設備,我是躲不了的。剛才他們已經明確通知要帶我走,已經明確地叫我:你不需要走,你也走不了。」
以涉「財務侵佔罪」帶走
一個小時後,該台記者再次撥打陳輝海的手機時,提示電話已關機。其後該台記者致電富華派出所,對方承認賓雪等人確實在派出所內,但拒絕在電話中透露抓捕原因及何時放人,在記者追問之下,對方表示實施抓捕行動的不是派出所,讓記者詢問刑警大隊及國保大隊。
自由亞洲電台稱,被廣州番禺區富華派出所帶走的4名「海哥勞工服務部」人員在派出所內做完筆錄後已經獲釋。但其餘失聯人員還下落不明。另外,佛山勞工NGO南飛雁的負責人何曉波被警方以涉嫌「財務侵佔罪」強行帶走。
綜合:亞洲自由電台/維權網/BBC中文網
原文