Elderly man forced into unpaid labour at cement factory for over 20 years
A 66-year-old disabled man, identified as Mr Ding (name transliterated), was rescued in Qingyuan District, Baoding City, China, after being forced to perform heavy labour at a cement store for around 20 years without pay.
Authorities confirmed the victim had been living under the same roof as a 57-year-old cement store operator, Mr An, who allegedly received him as a “gift” two decades ago.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
Forced labour in dehumanising conditions
Footage circulating online showed Mr Ding working in clouds of toxic cement dust without protective equipment, manually loading over 20 tons of cement daily from 5am onwards.
Medical examination done on Mr Ding indicated no major abnormalities, and he has since been moved to a secure welfare facility.
On 9 June, police successfully located and verified Mr Ding’s biological relatives via DNA testing.
They confirmed rumours that he was a missing villager from Xibaipo Town who vanished in 2004.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
Police detain operator, investigations underway
The cement store operator has been placed under criminal detention on felony charges.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating potential regulatory oversight failures and upstream human trafficking links.
Chinese legal analysts have stated that the case is a textbook example of forced labour and illegal detention, and prosecution is expected to pursue maximum statutory penalties.
Case exposed by Weibo influencer
The case originally exploded online through undercover video footage captured by Shangguan Zhengyi (name transliterated from Mandarin), a renowned Chinese anti-trafficking volunteer.
When Mr Shangguan surreptitiously interviewed Mr Ding, the elderly man muttered a single heartbreaking sentence to the camera: “I am so tired. I want to go home.”
Mr Shangguan later confronted the store owner, An, about the lack of legal identity papers and wages.
The operator callously admitted the man had been gifted to him two decades ago by an associate.
When asked what would happen if the undocumented man died on his property, An allegedly responded with indifference.
“If he dies, we’ll just bury him,” An allegedly said, before claiming that “local grassroots authorities” have known of Mr Ding’s situation.
Source: Sing Tao Daily
Advocate harassed after exposing case
After Mr Shangguan reported the facility to the police, he faced immediate retaliation at the scene.
A local man living across from the cement shop allegedly began harassing him aggressively.
The man also climbed into a heavy cargo truck, revved the engine, and shouted death threats, vowing to ram and crush Mr Shangguan to death.
Officers immediately subdued the driver. He has been handed a seven-day administrative detention order.
Source: HK01
Moreover, Mr Shangguan has also received death threats on Douyin.
Also read: Man in China dies after working 104 days with 1 day off; court finds employer 20% responsible
Man in China dies after working 104 days with 1 day off; court finds employer 20% responsible
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Featured image adapted from Sing Tao Daily.
