The Slaves Among Us

It is ironic that centuries after the end of colonial slavery and indentureship, the descendents of slaves and indentured labourers now stand complicit in perpetuating the slavery of another race, namely the Chinese. Last night more than 70 Chinese labourers protested outside the Chinese Embassy, complaining about the non payment of wages for two months and squalid conditions at their work camp at Chatee Trace, Cunpia. They walked more than two miles in the hot sun before they were stopped by police at the Uriah Butler Highway. It is not the first time Chinese workers here have protested but last night was a turning point in that police in riot gear had to be called out.

All of us have turned a blind eye to the conditions born by these Chinese workers responsible for constructing our schools, hospitals and 90% of all the major infrastructural developements in this country during and after the oil boom. We have benefitted from their cheap labour, but at what price? Are we any better than the British  and other Europeans were centuries ago? Last night when I saw these Chinese men being forced back unto buses, holding pieces of paper in broken English asking to be returned to China, their expressions grim and sad, I felt ashamed to be a West Indian.

Every morning I pass scores of Chinese workers who I know are living in sheds and shacks annexed to their construction site. We see them working through the night, pushing wheel barrows while we sit in the comfort of our homes. We see them coming from the slums in Sea Lots as we drive into Port of Spain in our nice cars. We see them huddled and packed into vans and trucks, clutching little bags and pieces of bread, while being taken to work. No local would be ever allowed to work under such conditions. Three weeks ago a Chinese worker committed suicide, no one seemed to care. I think it only made news because work had to be temporarily halted at that site.

Since these Chinese arrived about three years ago, they have become the new underclass to be exploited by the government and local business class. They are deriled in social commentary and Chinee is now our version of Paki. Their actions last night carried as the headline for all the major papers this morning, has forced us to accept all that we already knew on this small island of Trinidad. It's sad. We accuse the Europeans and in modern times the Americans and Canadians of still exploiting this region but what about us?

I am heartened that most of the radio talk show hosts and persons calling in to stations this morning showed a ground swell of local support for the Chinese and their plight. Several persons have called on the government to take action since the Chinese Embassy has refused to intervene. No surprise since the workers I understand are employed with a company owned by the Chinese government. I would like to join the chorus of persons calling for action. We cannot become a developed country in 2020 on the exploitation of others otherwise we would be no better than the Europeans and the Americans were before they ended slavery.