Catherwood LibraryILR School

A letter discovered in a Halloween decoration set from Kmart, published one year ago in U.S. newspapers, contained a detailed account of torture and human rights violations in the Chinese labor camp producing the decorations. It was a cry for help from a man sentenced to hard work for two and a half years for being a part of a spiritual movement that was outlawed by the Chinese state, and it helped push a movement to end the practice endorsed by the Chinese government. The particular labor camp he was detained in is now closed, but others still exist where prisoners, sentenced without trial, endure sleep deprivation, regular beatings, brainwashing, 12- to 18-hour work days, and severe abuse still exist. Experts say that public pressure in China is mounting and that government officials are slowly taking action, converting or closing the labor camps. The labor camps pose as legitimate businesses that contract with retailers outside of China to produce goods at below sweatshop costs.