Al Jazeera Special on Chinese Prison Slaves

On November 21^st, Al Jazeera released a special episode of “Slavery: A 21^st Century Evil” on the Laogai. The documentary special aired internationally on the TV channel Al Jazeera English. Although this station is currently unavailable in the United States, its website is hosting the video and can be viewed for free. In the Laogai episode, Omaar Rageh interviews Harry Wu on his 19 years spent in the Chinese prison system and inquires about the treatment of prisoners within the Laogai. The episode also spotlights those who were imprisoned due to their religious beliefs, which are strictly controlled in China.

The Laogai episode is just one part of Al Jazeera’s ongoing series on slavery. Past documentaries have highlighted India’s bridal slaves and Brazil’s charcoal slaves. Al Jazeera recently hosted a forum on slavery, which will be televised and available online next week. The panel was comprised of a wide range of experts and scholars, ranging from NGO founders to women’s rights advocates to UN special rapporteurs. The panelists’ variety of educational, work, and cultural backgrounds will surely bring interesting dialogue to the debate.

To watch the Laogai episode, click here.