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| LIU'S STORY | ||||||||||||
| My name is Liu I was born in the Peoples Republic of China in 1976 on my parents small farm in Fujian Province. I did not want to be farmer but I had not studied hard at school and had not many skills. It seemed to me that future in Fujian Province was bad and I thinking to go to some big city to work. One friend going to Shanghai but he return our village after only some few months because so many young people had also gone there from many parts of China. For someone not well educated it was so impossible to find good work. | ||||||||||||
| Someone in my village say to me he know some man who can arrange good work in America or Canada. This was of very interest to me and I spoke with this man who will arange all things to find very good work in Western country. Some few weeks later a man called WANG YI XIONG came to the village. Wang is a snakehead. He say it is very possible but it is complicated to organize documents and travel and a job, West will cost 331.200 Yuan which is almost 40.000 American dollars. My dream to go to America and work but now it is impossible because it is so much money. | ||||||||||||
| Wang say perhaps I think is not possible but if my parents can pay part then I can pay the rest when I come to Western country like America or Canada and has job making much money. I also can pay the money back to my parents and more so that they will have good life when they are old. For Chinese people respect for parents is great and I decide this is good. Wang said if my parents agree I must pay one-third of price before leave China and the rest little by little when I come to the West until the last of the price is finished. My parents say it is a good for my future and also for them too. They say all they save over the years can be used because I will have good work and repay them and send more for when they are old. I am very happy and give to the snakehead photos for passport that he says is necessary. | ||||||||||||
| Some weeks later I go to Shanghai with the money and meet again with Wang and the man who say he was the Snakehead representative a man called SU BAOSHAN. I also meet five more who are also going to West. The representative had our documents and new clothes, because we must travel as tourists and our clothes are to poor. At the airport we are all very excited because no one is in airplane before now and we are going to the West. We fly to Bangkok where representative give us Korean passports and then we fly next to Nairobi in Africa so as tourists. SU who is with us controll everything and not to allow to talk to anyone except certain officials that he knew. When we do not need the passports he have them. When we wait in Nairobi before airplane to Amsterdam in Holland the man explane when wecome to Amsterdam we must say we are political refugees and want asylum. He give us lessons what we must say. I ask why officials will believe these stories but the man laughing to say it is law. but we becoming confused because we not wanting to go to Amsterdam but to America. Su say it was for small time only and we will continue to America or Canada later. | ||||||||||||
| On airplane he take Korean passports and say other representative of snakehead will meet us in Amsterdam airport. Then like test he ask what we must say to the officials. When we arrive in Amsterdam we question very closely by the officials, who has a Chinese person as an interpreter and then we are released and agent for Chinese businessmen take us to Brussels in Belgium. I and two others arrive at apartment where other Chinese living in very poor part of city and very dirty and we has to sleep on the floor with no heat. There is not even hot water to wash and the man who already living in this place say they are often ill because of cold and little food they receive. | ||||||||||||
| Some days later a man Guan take me to Chinese restaurant for work. I starting very early in the morning to help to cook prepare food and then washing dishes and cleaning until late at night after restaurant closing. The boss very hard and all my pay go to man from the snakehead for the last part of the price for coming to Europe with some little for me to send to home. I working 16 or 18 hours every day. After some months I am very sick with hot skin and coughing but still must to work and there is no doctor to help. Guan say there is still much money to pay for trip and job in restaurant so I must work every day. If I not work I can never complete the travel to America and also my parents in Fujian Province will be poor until they are dead. | ||||||||||||
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