Cheng Yuan's wife petitions against Milwaukee Tool for using slave labor
Shi Minglei... also known as Hope... wife of jailed human rights lawyer Cheng Yuan, started a petition against Milwaukee Tool. She reported that prisoners released from Chishan prison were used as slave laborers for the company, including her husband.
... Her husband Cheng Yuan worked as a human rights lawyer and ran a prominent law firm in China before his arrest. Authorities sentenced him to five years for subversion of state power. National security agents interrogated Hope with a black cloth over her head, and they placed her and her young daughter under house arrest. Since arriving the United States, she has advocated for her husband...
... Cheng Yuan wrote three letters earlier this year to his wife and family, describing the difficult conditions in Chishan prison in Hunan province: I barely had any personal time… I worked in the workshop during the day, and my job was to operate the sewing machine…
... Hope learned from Lee Ming-che, a Taiwanese activist who was in the same prison as Cheng, that the conditions were worse than depicted in the letter. Guards humiliated inmates and made life miserable for them, like calling roll in the middle of the night or sleeping in certain positions. After hearing from Lee Ming-che, Hope confirmed his details with other released prisoners and discovered her husband was used as slave labor for Milwaukee Tool...