Queercommie Girl
2nd April 2011, 12:18
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster
An example of the plight facing illegal Chinese immigrants in the UK, not just discriminated against by the British, but also exploited by their fellow Chinese people too.
The Morecambe Bay cockling disaster occurred on the evening of the 5 February 2004 in North West England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_West_England), United Kingdom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom) when at least 21 cockle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockle_%28bivalve%29) pickers were drowned by the incoming tide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide) off the coast of Lancashire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancashire)/Cumbria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbria) in Morecambe Bay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morecambe_Bay).
A group of Chinese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China) workers were collecting cockles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerastoderma_edule) (edible marine bivalves) at low tide on sand flats at Warton Sands, near Hest Bank (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hest_Bank), to have been paid £5 per 25 kg of cockles,[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster#cite_note-thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk-0) when a number of workers were cut off by the incoming tide in the bay at around 9:30 in the evening.
... ...
At the subsequent hearing it was reported that British cocklers returning to shore on the same evening had attempted to warn the Chinese group by tapping their watches and trying to speak with them.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster#cite_note-guardian.co.uk-4) However, enmity had existed between the British and immigrant worker groups, with an alleged incident where the immigrant workers' catch was set on fire, and the presumed culprit chased by immigrant workers with rakes.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster#cite_note-guardian.co.uk-4) A survivor testified that the leader of the group had made a mistake about the time of the tides.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster#cite_note-thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk-0) Fourteen other members of the group are reported to have made it safely to the shore, making 15 survivors in total. The workers were all illegal immigrants (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigrant), mainly from the Fujian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian) province of China, and have been described as being untrained and inexperienced. Concern had been expressed over their situation to the local police some time before, but no action was taken.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]
... ...
From 2005 to 2006, four men and one woman were tried at Preston (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston,_Lancashire) Crown Court, accused of manslaughter or helping the cocklers break immigration law. On 24 March 2006, Lin Liangren was convicted of 21 counts of manslaughter. Lin was described in court as being "callous" and motivated by money. Lin claimed that ultimate responsibility lay with the clients, with frequent price cutting by middlemen to blame for the harsh regime. On 28 March 2006, he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, with a recommendation that he be deported to China (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China) at the end of his sentence.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]
His girlfriend Zhao Xiaoqing and cousin Lin Muyong were found guilty of the immigration offences. The first two were also found guilty of three charges of perverting the course of justice, by trying to persuade survivors to name some of the dead as the gangmasters. Lin Muyong's girlfriend, Janie Bannister, gave evidence against him in court. Sentencing took place on 28 March 2006. Zhao Xiaoqing was sentenced to two years and nine months, and Lin Muyong was sentenced to four years and nine months.
An example of the plight facing illegal Chinese immigrants in the UK, not just discriminated against by the British, but also exploited by their fellow Chinese people too.
The Morecambe Bay cockling disaster occurred on the evening of the 5 February 2004 in North West England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_West_England), United Kingdom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom) when at least 21 cockle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockle_%28bivalve%29) pickers were drowned by the incoming tide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide) off the coast of Lancashire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancashire)/Cumbria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbria) in Morecambe Bay (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morecambe_Bay).
A group of Chinese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China) workers were collecting cockles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerastoderma_edule) (edible marine bivalves) at low tide on sand flats at Warton Sands, near Hest Bank (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hest_Bank), to have been paid £5 per 25 kg of cockles,[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster#cite_note-thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk-0) when a number of workers were cut off by the incoming tide in the bay at around 9:30 in the evening.
... ...
At the subsequent hearing it was reported that British cocklers returning to shore on the same evening had attempted to warn the Chinese group by tapping their watches and trying to speak with them.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster#cite_note-guardian.co.uk-4) However, enmity had existed between the British and immigrant worker groups, with an alleged incident where the immigrant workers' catch was set on fire, and the presumed culprit chased by immigrant workers with rakes.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster#cite_note-guardian.co.uk-4) A survivor testified that the leader of the group had made a mistake about the time of the tides.[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster#cite_note-thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk-0) Fourteen other members of the group are reported to have made it safely to the shore, making 15 survivors in total. The workers were all illegal immigrants (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigrant), mainly from the Fujian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian) province of China, and have been described as being untrained and inexperienced. Concern had been expressed over their situation to the local police some time before, but no action was taken.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]
... ...
From 2005 to 2006, four men and one woman were tried at Preston (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston,_Lancashire) Crown Court, accused of manslaughter or helping the cocklers break immigration law. On 24 March 2006, Lin Liangren was convicted of 21 counts of manslaughter. Lin was described in court as being "callous" and motivated by money. Lin claimed that ultimate responsibility lay with the clients, with frequent price cutting by middlemen to blame for the harsh regime. On 28 March 2006, he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, with a recommendation that he be deported to China (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China) at the end of his sentence.[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]
His girlfriend Zhao Xiaoqing and cousin Lin Muyong were found guilty of the immigration offences. The first two were also found guilty of three charges of perverting the course of justice, by trying to persuade survivors to name some of the dead as the gangmasters. Lin Muyong's girlfriend, Janie Bannister, gave evidence against him in court. Sentencing took place on 28 March 2006. Zhao Xiaoqing was sentenced to two years and nine months, and Lin Muyong was sentenced to four years and nine months.