Chinese Prisoners Forced Into Gaming for Guards
Hard manual labor is one time-honored method of putting prisoners to work, but Chinese jail bosses have caught on to another lucrative way to keep inmates occupied while lining their own pockets: online gaming.
Hard manual labor is one time-honored method of putting prisoners to work, but Chinese jail bosses have caught on to another lucrative way to keep inmates occupied while lining their own pockets: online gaming. –KA
Your support is crucial…The Guardian:
As a prisoner at the Jixi labour camp, Liu Dali would slog through tough days breaking rocks and digging trenches in the open cast coalmines of north-east China. By night, he would slay demons, battle goblins and cast spells.
Liu says he was one of scores of prisoners forced to play online games to build up credits that prison guards would then trade for real money. The 54-year-old, a former prison guard who was jailed for three years in 2004 for “illegally petitioning” the central government about corruption in his hometown, reckons the operation was even more lucrative than the physical labour that prisoners were also forced to do.
“Prison bosses made more money forcing inmates to play games than they do forcing people to do manual labour,” Liu told the Guardian. “There were 300 prisoners forced to play games. We worked 12-hour shifts in the camp. I heard them say they could earn 5,000-6,000rmb [£470-570] a day. We didn’t see any of the money. The computers were never turned off.”
With an uncertain future and a new administration casting doubt on press freedoms, the danger is clear: The truth is at risk.
Now is the time to give. Your tax-deductible support allows us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes what’s really happening — without compromise.
During this holiday season, stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and ensure the stories that matter are told.
Editorial Cartoons
Opinion
How America’s strongman will hasten the decline of U.S. global power.
Environment
Trillions of dollars are at stake as debate continues on whether emerging economies like China should step up climate aid.
Asia Pacific
Today’s ecological and geopolitical dangers highlight the urgency of finding a way to avoid World War III.
Activism
Why is the United States leading the way in an unwinnable nuclear arms race?
TD Column
When it comes to court and policing reform, the former prosecutor should take a page from Richard Nixon.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.