Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The trial of kiln boss Wang Bingbing, foreman Heng Tinghan and three hired guards accused of involvement in a slave labour scandal in Caosheng (Hongtong County) began yesterday. They are each accused of illegal detention, forced labour and bodily harm.

The China Daily newspaper reports that local media were unsatisfied with the charges, complaining that the suspects should also be accused of human trafficking and child labour.

Under China's Criminal Law anyone who illegally detains another person and causes severe bodily harm shall receive a minimum sentence of three years.

Wang is the son of the local Communist Party boss who was thrown out of the party once the charges were laid.

In the last few weeks almost 570 people trafficked as slaves, 50 of them children, have been freed in Shanxi and Henan provinces.

In Caosheng 31 workers were freed, the youngest of which was 14. They had been forced to work for up to 16 hours a day for little food and no pay. Fierce dogs and thugs prevented them from escaping.

Investigations also found that a mentally disabled worker named Liu Bao had died in November after being beaten with a shovel. He was later buried without proper documentation.

Usually workers were lured away from railway stations with lucrative job offers. Instead of what they were told they were taken to the brick kiln and reduced to work as slaves.

Also yesterday in court, one victim, 17-year-old Zhang Wenlong, who was seriously burnt by hot bricks, appealed for compensation of 500,000 yuan (US$ 66,000).

Other victims have made similar requests.