In the recent weeks, we, a group of Hong Kong groups and unions who cover labour issues in China have learned of a series of violent attacks on a labour group and its legal person in Shenzhen.
We are very upset, concerned and enraged about the recent development. The Shenzhen Dagongzhe Migrant Worker Centre (DGZ Centre) has been long supported by the general public and Hong Kong groups. It provides a free library, labour law education and free legal consultation to migrant workers in Shenzhen. In recent months, it has been involved in promoting knowledge around the “Labour Contract Law”, a new law the national government is introducing to help safeguard workers; and it has provided legal advice in order to de-fuse the current growing tension between employers and workers. On 11 Oct and 14 Nov 2007, a group of unknown and unidentified people came to destroy the properties of DGZ Centre. On 20 Nov, the legal person of the centre, Huang Qingnan was attacked by two people with choppers, on the way to visit a injured worker, just after he left the centre. Huang is seriously injured. In recent months, workers reported they had also been assaulted and verbally threatened by their employers when claiming their wages. Reports to the police have not met with success or interest. They were disappointed that the local government was behaving very indifferently. The attacks on the centre and Mr. Huang prove that interest groups which are trying to paralyze the implementation of this law, distorting the central governments labour policies and revealing openly their dislike of independent labour organizations. If the DGZ Centre’s case is not properly followed up and no proper investigation is undertaken, it will give a regrettable and worrying message that violent prevails. Civil groups in Shenzhen and also other parts of China would face more assaults and their development could be limited. Although we are in based Hong Kong, we care for China’s development and we work for the education and welfare of Chinese workers. In order to develop a harmonious society, fairness and justice must be safeguarded. Therefore, the case of DGZ centre must be resolved and the safety of civil groups in China must be guaranteed. We demand that the Central government & the Shenzhen city government: 
Above photo: On 20 Nov 2007, the legal person of the DGZ centre, Huang Qingnan was seriously injured after attacked by two people with choppers.
- Openly condemns & investigates all violent incidents, and in particular the attack on Huang Qingnan;
- Helps DGZ Centre to re-start its works and provides Huang Qingnan with appropriate medical treatment and rehabilitation;
- Implements the national policy to maintain a harmonious labour relations, improves the protection of civil groups and their staff in order to prevent violent acts and maintain public security.
Above photo: On 11 Oct 2007, DGZ Centre was attacked by unknown people. (the date shown on the photo was wrong due to wrong camera setting) Initiated by: Worker Empowerment; Globalization Monitor; Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM); Labour Action China; Asia Monitor Resources Centre Supported and cosigned by: 1. ITUC/GUF/HKCTU/HKTUC Hong Kong Liaison Office 2. Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions 3. Cleaning Workers Union 4. Hong Kong Women Workers’ Association 5. The Chinese University Of Hong Kong Employees General Union 6. Catering And Hotels Industries Employees General Union 7. Clothing Industry, Clerical and Retail Trade Employees General Union 8. Hong Kong Catholic Institution Staff Association 9. Rights Workers Trade Union Hong Kong 10. Cleaning Service Industry Workers Union 11. Union Of Hong Kong Dockers 12. Hong Kong Dumper Truck Drivers Association 13. Concrete Industry Workers Union 14. The Federation Of Hong Kong Transport Worker Organizations 15. Ocean Park Employees Union 16. Construction Site Workers General Union 17. Hong Kong Domestic Workers General Union 18. Community Care and Nursing Home Workers General Union 19. Hong Kong School Clerks & Janitors General Union 20. Government Mod 1 Staff General Union 21. Industrial Relationships Institutes 22. Catholic Diocese of HK Diocesan Pastoral Centre for the Worker (Chai Wan) 23. Grassroots Development Centre 24. Elderly Right Development Society 25. Student Christian Movement of Hong Kong 26. Tiananmen Mothers Campaign 27. Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese 28. People Demo 29. Local Action 30. Ziteng 31. Community Cultural Concern 32. Neighbourhood & Worker’s Service Centre International groups/individuals： 1. International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC (International) 2. War On Wants (International) 3. Committee of Asian Women, CAW (International) 4. The Transnational Information Exchange, TIE Asia (International) 5. Clean Clothes Campaign, CCC (International) 6. Karat Coalition (Europe) 7. New Trade Union Initiative, NTUI (India) 8. Jobs with Justice (India) 9. Thai Centre of Labour Solidarity, TCLS (Thailand) 10. Rick Kuhn-Reader in Political Science, Australian National University Workplace delegate, National Tertiary Education Union (Australia) 11. Clean Clothes Campaign Denmark (Denmark) 12. Christliche Initiative Romero (Germany) 13. Rena Kläder (Sweden) 14. Clean Clothes Campaign Sweden (Sweden) 15. Labour Behind the Label (United Kingdom) 16. The National Association of Human Resources Specialists, AUR (Romenia) 17. Clean Clothes Campaign France (France) 18. Peuples Solidaires (France) 19. Workers Initiative Poland (Poland) 20. United Students Against Sweatshops, USAS (USA) 21. Sweat Free Communities (USA) 22. Maquila Solidarity Network, Toronto, (Canada) 23. Lesotho Clothing and Allied Workers Union , LECAWU (Lesotho) 24. Labour Research Service (South Africa) 25. Commission Travail de l’ATFD (Tunesia) 26. Organización de Mujeres Salvadoreñas, ORMUSA (El Salvador) 27. CONCERTACIÓN POR UN EMPLEO DIGNO EN LA MAQUILA ,CEDM (El Salvador) 28. Honduran Independent Monitoring Team, EMIH (Honduras) 29. The Maria Elana Cuadra Movement of Working and Unemployed Women, MEC (Nicaragua) 30. Jonathan Unger 31. Ron Avila 32. Ralph Gayton 33. Andrew Stevens 34. David Paul Xavier Burch 35. Allison Chan36. Diana Covell 37. Sebastian Cobarrubias 38. Robert Periano 39. Kevin J. O’Rourke 40. rosie wagstaff 41. Sten-Olof Svensson 42. Gisela Neunhoeffer 43. Joost Vandeputte 44. Mit freundlichen Grüßen 45. David Hutchison 46. Agnes Ku