Police say petitioner forced to toil

Local authorities accused of trying to prevent airing of grievances

SHIJIAZHUANG - Police officials said on Thursday that a rural resident who traveled to Beijing to petition authorities about his grievances was kidnapped by human traffickers and forced to toil in a small brick kiln, confirming a recent report that petitioners are being preyed upon in the capital.

Wuqiao county police, in North China's Hebei province, said human traffickers tricked Yang Xiangzheng, 57, and six other men in June into working in one of Wuqiao's small brick kilns. The police said the kiln paid the traffickers 1,600 yuan ($252) for each laborer.