A letter was submitted by the All-China Lawyers Association (ACLA) to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) last week, advocating that the word "slavery" be added to the country's criminal code, state media reported. Anyone found guilty of "enslaving" another by violent or economic means should receive a sentence of up to life in prison, said Wu Ge, chairman of the ACLA's constitution and human rights committee. The existing Criminal Law states that a person who illegally detains another person or forces illegal labor may receive a jail sentence of up to three years only if no severe bodily injury is involved. Currently, no laws exist to criminalize slavery or to deter or punish people for such crimes, such as the forced labor scandal uncovered last month in Shanxi and Henan provinces.
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