http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Liaoning Fri, 24 May 2013 19:27:40 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Liaoning Mon, 20 May 2013 19:46:36 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aad_1369093394 Detroit Iron A group of Chinese fishermen are said to be held hostage in North Korea, straining ties already frayed by North Korea's missile launches. By Arthur Bright o A daily summary of global reports on security issues. The Chinese embassy in North Korea is "working on" securing the release of the crew of a Chinese fishing boat held by unidentified armed North Koreans, who are reportedly seeking a ransom. The Associated Press reports that, according to the ship owner Yu Xuejun, the Liaoning -based boat was seized on May 5 by kidnappers demanding 600,000 yuan ($100,000) ransom for the 16 crew members' safe return. In another plea for help on Monday, Yu wrote on his blog that he received another call from "the North Korean side" on Sunday night, still demanding money. "My captain gave me the phone, his voice was trembling, could feel he was very afraid, told me no later than 5 p.m. today," Yu wrote. He said he suspected his crew had been mistreated. RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about China? Take our quiz. Mr. Yu said that the boat was seized in Chinese waters, although the kidnappers reportedly claimed it was in North Korean territory. RECOMMENDED: How much do you know about China? Take our quiz. Yu told Agence France-Presse that he believes the kidnappers are part of the North Korean military , though he is not certain. He reported the incident to the Chinese government, but took to social media to publicize his crew's predicament after becoming frustrated with a lack of official action. "It has almost been two weeks, but I haven't seen any results," he told AFP. Chinese state news agency Xinhua published its first report on the matter on Sunday, writing that the Chinese embassy in North Korea "is working on the detention" and is "asking Pyongyang to ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the fishermen." The incident comes amid a tense situation on the Korean peninsula . North Korea in recent months has conducted several missile launches and nuclear tests, including six short-range rocket launches over the weekend and two more today . China , a traditional ally of North Korea, has been showing greater irritation with its neighbor, including supporting UN sanctions against Pyongyang over its most recent nuclear test. AP writes that kidnappings of Chinese nationals by North Korean pirates are actually fairly common - including a similar event last year in which 29 fishermen were seized by armed North Koreans and later released. "Whatever you call North Korea - rogue state or whatever - these kind of cases just keep happening," said a Liaoning Maritime and Fishery Administration official who identified himself only by his surname, Liu. "We had such cases last year and the year before. There's very little we can do to prevent them." The Global Times, a Chinese Communist Party newspaper, suggests that the current tension between Beijing and Pyongyang may result in a greater willingness for the Chinese to publicize the incidents - and that North Korea is deliberately targeting China . Cui Zhiying, director of the Korean Peninsula Research Center at the Shanghai -based Tongji University , told the Global Times that as the relations between China and North Korea are gradually changing from traditional ideological allies to normal bilateral relations, these kinds of reports are being disclosed more frequently than before. Jin Qiangyi, director of the Asian Studies Center at Yanbian University, told the Global Times Sunday that China has been inclined to deal with such disputes in a low-key manner, which has been taken advantage of by North Korea to infringe upon Chinese fishermen's interests. "It's also possible that the nuclear state is taking revenge on China after the UN imposed a series of sanctions on it following its third nuclear test," said Jin, stressing that the Chinese government should hold firm in safeguarding the safety of its citizens, otherwise, such incidents will reoccur in the future. http://news.yahoo.com/north-korean-pirates-seize-chinese-hostages-demand-ransom-123609892.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aad_1369093394 Detroit Iron North Korean pirates seize Chinese hostages, demand a ransom North Korea, China Mon, 20 May 2013 11:41:47 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3a8_1369064317 Lake8737 Google translate The night of May 5, a boat carrying 16 Chinese fishermen, "Liao &amp; P fishing 25222" Liaoning fishing boat was detained by the North Korean military.The DPRK at least 8 times call owner, forced to pay at least 600,000 yuan fine. "My absolute fishing boat seized by North Korean armed patrol boats operating in Chinese waters!" Shipowners Xuejun very sure that: Liao S &amp; P Fishing 25222 seized by armed men boarded by North Korean patrol boat on longitude 123 degrees 53 minutes north latitude and 38 degrees 18 minutes, is entirely in Chinese waters. " Xue-Jun explained, "Liao ordinary fishing 25222" The boat is equipped with GPS and Beidou two positioning systems to ensure that the fishing vessel "every minute" know the exact location of their own job. Xue-Jun in particular revealed a detail, North Korea armed soldiers on board, remove the Beidou system. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3a8_1369064317 Lake8737 China asks North Korea to release 16 kidnapped Chinese fishermen china,chinese,north korea,fishermen,kidnap Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:26 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b10_1368976712 Lake8737 Google translate Chinese Embassy in North Korea confirmed that individual fishing in Dalian City Liaoning ordinary fishing 25222 "DPRK snatch. May 10, shipowners Xuejun phone to the embassy for help. Embassy immediately made http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b10_1368976712 Lake8737 Update: North Korea kidnapped Chinese fishing boat with 16 people for 600K yuan ramson china,chinese,north korea,kidnap,fishing boat Sun, 21 Apr 2013 03:42:13 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b86_1366529438 plokiju It may look like a sukhoi, but it is a completely original chinese design, according to the PLA. Since the unveiling of the J-15, international critics have dismissed the notion that this "new" fighter was a real threat or even an original design, as many military analysts have noted shortcomings in the design and the strong probability that the design was plagiarized from Russian and American technology. Russia was among the first to criticize the J-15's design and originality. Colonel Igor Korotchenko (Ret.), a member of the Defense Ministry's Public Council told Ria Novosti that China's naval figher was a "clone" of the Russian Su-33, a multi-role fighter used on the Kuznetsov Class aircraft carriers, which includes the Liaoning. Korotchenko also stated that the Chinese J-15 was the product of stalled talks on the sale of "authentic" Su-33 jetsfrom Russia to China as well as inferior Chinese reverse engineering of Russian technology. "The Chinese J-15 clone is unlikely to achieve the same performance characteristics of the Russian Su-33 carrier-based fighter, and I do not rule out the possibility that China could return to negotiations with Russia on the purchase of a substantial batch of Su-33s," said Korotchenko. These observations were mirrored by the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, a Moscow-based think tank. According to the Center, the J-15 was initially derived from a prototype copy of the Su-33 from Ukraine. Meanwhile, US observers have also noted that the J-15 is plagued by development problems and veiled by secrecy, mixed with uncertain intentions from the Chinese in rising maritime disputes with China's Asian neighbors over the South China Sea and Senkaku Islands. In sum, the J-15 has been labeled as a knockoff naval fighter that will not be able to perform as well as the "original" and other carrier-based fighters in the Asia-Pacific region by its critics. Furthermore, this "Shark" has been marked as a tool of China's assertiveness in its territorial disputes. China's Strong Rebuke After the successful landing of the J-15 on China's new carrier - the Liaoning - and the sudden death of the chief designer of the J-15 on November 25, China came out swinging against the critics of its new fighter by answering them with strong language. In response to Russian accusations of the inferiority of the J-15 and derivative nature of its fighter, the official Chinese media have struck back by claiming that the J-15 is "superior to Russian Su-33." No evidence has been provided by China to prove this rather bold assertion. Geng Yansheng, a spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense of China said, "The world military affairs have an objective law of development. Many weapons have the same design principle and some command and protection methods are also similar. Therefore, it at least is non-professional to conclude that China copied the aircraft carrier technology of other countries only by simply comparison." China responded with equal toughness to US assertions of secrecy in China's weapons system production and intentions. Geng stated that "China is always open to military transparency and frankly speaking, the J-15 experiment is quite transparent." Wu Shengli, China's navy chief, was said to have briefed the U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus on the J-15 and test trials of the Liaoning, though what was included in that briefing is not know to the public. China also added a zing in their response. Pan Zheng, a U.S. military studies scholar at the People's Liberation Army National Defense University, posed a snarky response to U.S. concerns about China's intentions for the J-15 and Liaoning by suggesting that "the US should also ask itself how transparent it has been to China." One may wonder what this means as the U.S. has been transparent about its role as a guardian of regional security in Asia for its allies and Taiwan. By and large, China seems to be highly defensive about the scathing criticism heaped upon its new naval fighters. At the same time, the official media offers no hard answers about the J-15's design - as one may reasonably expect of any national government - and even less about intentions that the Chinese military has for its new weapon. The Real Deal from China The facts, at present, leaves us with no concrete answer on whether or not the J-15 is a "clone" of the Russian Su-33 or about its capabilities as a naval fighter. As with any national military, the specifications of the design for the J-15 will not and, in the eyes of Beijing, shoud not be made public to ally concerns from the U.S. and others. However, we do know these facts about the J-15: First, the J-15's frame and exterior is extremely close to that of the Russian Su-33. Second, the J-15's engine is supplied by the Russians. Third, the J-15's performance remains below that of top U.S. naval fighters deployed in the Asia-Pacific region. Finally, the J-15 and China's aircraft carrier have a long way to go before they can be a credible challenge to either the U.S. or its Asian allies as it may take up to twenty years to create an operational carrier group. In conclusion, the J-15 represents a highly evident effort by China to modernize its naval power in the Asia-Pacific region and something the U.S., Russia, Asia, and the world ought to continue to monitor as it becomes an operational weapon systems, alongside China's aircraft carrier program. http://www.policymic.com/articles/20270/china-j-15-fighter-jet-chinese-officials-defend-new-fighter-as-chinese-original-but-questions-remain http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b86_1366529438 plokiju Chinese J-15 at a carrier training base Chinese, J-15, at, carrier, training, base Thu, 18 Apr 2013 05:21:38 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=440_1366276734 Lake8737 Google translate Not long ago, in Liaoning Province, Fuxin Mongolian Autonomous County Ring Road, a traffic police detachment vehicles Fumeng retrograde pressure double yellow lines knocked down a pedestrian, the video display vehicle but did not slow down and speed away from the scene, did not stop saving http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=440_1366276734 Lake8737 Police car hits pedestrian and runs away china,chinese,police,car,hit and run Mon, 01 Apr 2013 23:32:02 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ed9_1364873020 ramotyis China has placed military forces on heightened alert in the northeastern part of the country as tensions mount on the Korean peninsula following recent threats by Pyongyang to attack, U.S. officials said. Reports from the region reveal the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently increased its military posture in response to the heightened tensions, specifically North Korea's declaration of a "state of war" and threats to conduct missile attacks against the United States and South Korea. According to the officials, the PLA has stepped up military mobilization in the border region with North Korea since mid-March, including troop movements and warplane activity. China's navy also conducted live-firing naval drills by warships in the Yellow Sea that were set to end Monday near the Korean peninsula, in apparent support of North Korea, which was angered by ongoing U.S.-South Korean military drills that are set to continue throughout April. North Korea, meanwhile, is mobilizing missile forces, including road-mobile short- and medium-range missiles, according to officials familiar with satellite imagery of missile bases. The missile activity is believed to be North Korea's response to the ongoing U.S.-South Korean military exercises that last week included highly publicized flights by two B-2 strategic nuclear bombers near North Korean territory as part of annual military exercises. North Korea's government announced last week that since March 26 its missile and artillery forces have been placed on the highest alert status. Specifically, Nodong medium-range missiles and their mobile launchers were spotted in satellite imagery, the officials said. There are also indications North Korea will soon conduct a flight test of its new KN-08 road-mobile ICBM or its intermediate-range Musudan mobile missile. Test preparations had been detected in the past, the officials said. A military provocation by North Korean forces against the South is not expected while the current war games are underway in South Korea, officials said. However, the situation remains dangerous as hostilities could break out as a result of a miscalculation. South Korea's government has said it would respond to any North Korean military provocation with force. The Chinese military activities near North Korea were detected in Jilin Province, and intelligence reports from the area on March 19 indicated that PLA forces were ordered to go to "Level One" alert status, the highest level of readiness. Large groups of soldiers were seen on the streets in Ji'an, a city in Jilin, amid reports that the PLA had been ordered to combat readiness status. PLA heavy armored vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, were reported moving near the Yalu River that separates China from North Korea. The troops were part of the 190th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, stationed in Benxi, in Liaoning Province. The movements are believed to be related to increased tensions in Korea. Additionally, PLA troops and military vehicles were seen near Baishan, in Jilin province, around March 21. Low-flying PLA air force jets, believed to be fighters, also were heard and seen at several border locations in China, including Yanji and Yanbian in Jilin, Kuancheng, in Hebei province, and Dandong, in Liaoning province. Chinese forces along the border responded to some unknown event in North Korea near Siniju on March 21 that involved Chinese fighter jets flying over the area. The officials said the Chinese military activities appear to be based on concerns about a new outbreak of conflict between North Korea and South Korea and the United States. China's military maintains a long-standing defense treaty with the North that obligates China to defend North Korea in the event it is attacked. The last time Chinese forces backed Pyongyang was during the Korean War when tens of thousands of Chinese "volunteers" drove south into the peninsula. Chinese military spokesmen frequently refer to their relations with the Korean People's Army, as the North Korean military is called, as ties "as close as lips and teeth." Other reports from China indicate that the heightened tensions have led to a disruption of trade between China and North Korea along the border between the two countries. One sign of slowed commerce between China and North Korea was a Chinese Internet report from a restaurant owner in Dandong, China, a border city, who said commerce between the two countries was disrupted following North Korea's Feb. 12 underground nuclear test. Since that time, it has been more difficult for the goods from North Korea to reach China because the North Korean Customs Office closed frequently as a result of increased Chinese inspections of North Korean goods. U.S. officials and private analysts said the slowdown may be a sign of Beijing's displeasure at the North Korean nuclear test. China also held up exports of crude oil to North Korea in February, according to customs data reviewed by Reuters news agency. The agency said in a report that it was the first time deliveries of oil were cut since early 2007. However, in a sign of continuing close relations, the government of Jilin province announced March 27 that it plans to modernize railway links to North Korea to bolster cross-border economic and trade ties. The China Tumen-North Korea Rajin Railway and China Tumen-North Korea Chongjin Railway will be upgraded under the Jilin government plan, China's official Global Times reported . Additionally, the Chinese plan to set up a special highway passenger line to connect Tumen to North Korea over the next several years. Other reports from the region stated that North Korean cities in the northern part of the country were placed on "combat" alert and have conducted evacuation drills, officials said. The drills have been carried out in three-day to five-day intervals when power and water supplies were suspended as part of the exercises. Chinese citizens living in border cities in China also reported hearing air-raid sirens as part of the exercises, officials said. U.S. officials say China's main fear for its fraternal communist client regime in North Korea is a collapse of order that leads to large-scale refugee flows into China. Reports from inside North Korea also revealed that North Korean soldiers have been issued bread, instant noodles, sausages, milk, and dried fish that appeared to be supplied by the United Nations as aid meant for the civilian population. The Feb. 12 underground blast, North Korea's third, is credited by analysts with setting off the latest round of belligerence by the Pyongyang regime. After the test, the U.S. government continued to refuse to acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear-armed state. That prompted the regime of North Korea's Kim Jong Un to issue unprecedented threats to fire nuclear missiles at the United States. The Pentagon responded by using annual military exercises with South Korea to fly B-52 strategic bombers and later B-2s near North Korea. Frontline F-22 fighter-bombers, the Air Force's most advanced jets, were sent on Sunday to take part in the military drills. North Korea's latest threats included announcing a state of war and cutting off military and other communications. North Korea's ruling communist Korean Workers Party announced on Sunday that the nuclear arsenal is the "nation's life" and would not be given up even if offered "billions of dollars," http://freebeacon.com/border-patrol/ http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ed9_1364873020 ramotyis China mobilizing troops, jets near N. Korean border, US officials say. china,troops,ping,pong Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:20:35 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=714_1363212888 plokiju 2013-03-12 - It appears that China may indeed be working to turn its second stealth fighter, the J-31, into an aircraft carrier-borne fighter. The chief designer of the J-31 (as well as China's current carrier fighter, the Shenyang J-15), apparently told China's Xinhua news agency that he hopes an improved version of the J-31 will be able to operate from carriers. As we've pointed out before, this wouldn't be too surprising. The J-31 is smaller than China's other stealth fighter, the Chengdu J-20, meaning that it would be easier to fit on a crowded carrier. The plane also strongly resembles the U.S. Navy' next-generation carrier fighter, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (click here to read more about that resemblance). Finally, it's got two wheels on its nose landing gear, a feature that is exclusive to U.S. naval fighters due to the increased stresses of carrier landings. The J-31 was unveiled last September and will likely compliment the J-20. It may be a multirole fighter designed to attack both air and ground targets in the same way the F-35 is meant to. The J-20's large size has caused many to speculate that it is meant to be a stealthy interceptor similar to the Soviet Union's legendary MiG-25 Foxbat. It would use its enormous engines to speed out and shoot down incoming fleets of attack planes. It may also be a stealth bomb truck designed to, again, speed out while evading enemy radars and attack ships and bases with bombs and cruise missiles carried in its large weapons bays - kind of like a 21st century version of the F-111 Aardvark. Meanwhile, China's first carrier the Liaoning (the refurbished Soviet carrier Varyag) recently moved from the Dalian shipyard where it was equipped with new engines, weapons, electronics, and living spaces to its new homeport Dazhu Shan near Qing Dao. China is said to be building two to three brand new carriers that may be based on the Varyag. These ships will reportedly enter service sometime between 2015 and 2020. 2nd video is called Doubts Over "Fifth-Generation J-31" http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=714_1363212888 plokiju China's second stealth J-31 may be a carrier fighter j-31, stealth, fighter, aircraft carrier Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:06:10 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6fb_1353819733 karazhanchess starting at 1:22 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6fb_1353819733 karazhanchess Video of China navy J-15 fighter's first arrested landing on aircraft carrier <span class="highlight">Liaoning</span> china, aircraft carrier, liaoning, J-15, landing, figther Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:59:11 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5cc_1348577382 yushengok First Chinese Aircarft Carrier enlisted in the PLAN on Sept. 25 2012. Side Number : 16 Name: Liaoning http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5cc_1348577382 yushengok Chinese First Aircraft Carrier Enlisted in The Army Chinese Aircraft carrier, liaoning, 16, PLAN, listed in army, Tue, 25 Sep 2012 08:02:54 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e86_1348574319 Lake8737 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e86_1348574319 Lake8737 Chinese president and premier attend commission ceremony of Chinese carrier <span class="highlight">Liaoning</span> china,chinese,navy Sat, 29 Dec 2012 09:49:13 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ae5_1356792408 NewspaperOnline The letter came in a box of Halloween decorations purchased at Kmart, but for a year Julie Keith never knew. It gathered dust in her storage, a haunting plea for help hidden among artificial skeletons, tombstones and spider webs. Keith, a 42-year-old vehicle donation manager at a southeast Portland Goodwill, at one point considered donating the unopened $29.99 Kmart graveyard kit. It was one of those accumulated items you never need and easily forget. But on a Sunday afternoon in October, Keith pulled the orange and black box from storage. She intended to decorate her home in Damascus for her daughter's fifth birthday, just days before Halloween. She ripped open the box and threw aside the cellophane. That's when Keith found it. Scribbled onto paper and folded into eighths, the letter was tucked between two Styrofoam headstones. Shocked, Keith sat down as her mind reeled. Wow, that's daring, she thought. She imagined the desperation the writer must have felt, the courage he or she must have mustered to slip the letter into that box. If caught, what would happen? Like a message in a bottle, the letter traveled more than 5,000 miles over the Pacific Ocean. It could not be ignored. Unsure of where to start, Keith turned to Facebook. "I found this in a box of Halloween decorations" she typed beneath a photo of the letter. She wanted to spread the message. The Facebook post sparked a slew of responses. Her friends had heard of labor camp horrors. But a letter from one of those camps? Never. "I'm sure that person feared for his/her life to include that letter in the products, but it was a chance they were obviously willing to take," one friend wrote. "We take our freedom for granted!" "What's weird to me is someone is actually thinking about, and praying something comes of this ... every day of their life since they sent it out," another wrote. "Makes me sad this even happens" Some friends offered help, others asked for updates. The anonymous letter evoked skepticism, too. Written largely in English scrawl, it was almost too bold of an act to seem plausible. Still, U.S. authorities on China took note. "We're in no position to confirm the veracity or origin of this," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. "I think it is fair to say the conditions described in the letter certainly conform to what we know about conditions in re-education through labor camps." China's re-education through labor is a system of punishment that allows for detention without trial. Various reports allege followers of the banned spiritual group, Falun Gong, are sent to the reform camps - claims supported in the letter - but the facts are difficult to confirm. Masanjia labor camp is located in the industrialized capital of the Liaoning Province in northeast China. A Google search of the camp yields pages of grim results. "If this thing is the real deal, that's somebody saying please help me, please know about me, please react," Richardson said. "That's our job." *** If truly created in a forced labor camp, the Halloween graveyard kit from Kmart's "Totally Ghoul" product line could bring a blow to the U.S. chain of discount stores. Title 19, section 1307 of U.S. Code generally prohibits the importation of all items "mined, produced or manufactured" in any foreign country by convict labor, forced labor and/or indentured labor. After the Oregonian informed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement about the letter, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations began looking into the case, public affairs officer Andrew Munoz confirmed. Sears Holdings Corporation, which operates Kmart, released a statement on the matter: "Sears Holdings has a Global Compliance Program which helps to ensure that vendors and factories producing merchandise for our company adhere to specific Program Requirements, and all local laws pertaining to employment standards and workplace practices. Failure to comply with any of the Program Requirements, including the use of forced labor, may result in a loss of business or factory termination. We understand the seriousness of this allegation, and will continue to investigate." Daniel Ruiz, section chief of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center's commercial fraud unit, said it would be difficult to predict the length of an investigation like this, which would involve American and Chinese authorities. Investigative findings would be released, he said, only if the agency takes action. *** Julie Keith now checks the label of everything she buys, down to the Gingerbread house she purchased for the holidays. Her friends, she said, do the same. "If I really don't need it, I won't buy it if it's made in China," she said. "This has really made me more aware. I hope it would make a difference." http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ae5_1356792408 NewspaperOnline Oregon woman finds HELP letter note in Kmart Halloween decrations Oregon woman finds HELP letter note in Kmart Halloween decrations Thu, 27 Dec 2012 08:13:10 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3e4_1356613432 Zipper10 Oregon mother Julie Keith expected to find Styrofoam headstones in the graveyard kit she bought at Kmart for Halloween. What she didn't expect was a desperate plea for help from one of the Chinese laborers forced to make the holiday decorations in brutal conditions. The 42-year-old charity worker from Portland discovered the chilling letter hidden between the two novelty headstones when she opened the kit in October. Plea for help: The letter, pictured, came in a box of Halloween decorations purchased at Kmart 'Sir: If you occasionally buy this product, please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization,' the unsigned note, that was folded into eighths, read. 'Thousands people here who are under the persicution of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever.' The letter's author said the Halloween product was made in Masanjia Labor Camp in Shenyang, China, where laborers are forced to work for 15 hours a day without time off on the weekends and holidays. 'Otherwise, they will suffer torturement, beat and rude remark. Nearly no payment,' they wrote in choppy English accompanied by Chinese characters. The plea said workers at the labor camp make only 10 yuan per month - the equivalent to $1.61. The China director at Human Rights Watch, Sophie Richardson, told The Oregonian that the origin or authenticity of the letter couldn't be confirmed. Hidden: The letter was folded into eighths and hidden amongst the the Styrofoam headstones in the Totally Ghoul product, pictured 'We're in no position to confirm the veracity or origin of this,' she said. 'I think it is fair to say the conditions described in the letter certainly conform to what we know about conditions in re-education through labor camps.' China's re-education through labor is a system of punishment that allows for detention without trial. Masanjia labor camp is located in the industrialized capital of the Liaoning Province in northeast China. 'If this thing is the real deal, that's somebody saying please help me, please know about me, please react,' Richardson told The Oregonian. 'That's our job.' Keith certainly thinks it is genuine. She said she analyzed the product packaging and showed it to a Chinese co-worker at the Portland Goodwill store, where she is a donations manager, and they thought it looked authentic. 'I fully believe it is real,' she told Fox News , describing how the headstones where the letter was found were sealed together and the box was closed with tape. 'It had to come from where they said.' The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations is looking into the note. Keith said she had handed over the box of decorations and the letter to ICE agents to help in the investigation. Response: Sears Holdings Corporation, which owns Kmart, said in a statement that it was investigating the matter after the product was sold at one of its Oregon stores Keith actually purchased the box of decorations more than a year ago and only decided to pull them out this year because her five-year-old daughter was having a pre-Halloween birthday party. She said at one point she considered donating the unopened $29.99 Kmart graveyard kit. But she opened it and found the letter, which had travelled some 5,000 miles over the Pacific Ocean to get to her home. Keith's first instinct was to turn to Facebook to ask her friends for tips on what to do and to spread the message. LETTER PLEADS FOR HELP Sir: If you occasionally buy this product, please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization. Thousands people here who are under the persicution of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever. This product produced by Unit 8, Department 2, Mashanjla Labour Camp, Shen Young, Liaoning, China. People who work here have to work 15 hours a day without Saturday (or) Sunday break and any holidays, otherwise they will suffer torturement , beat and rude remark, nearly no payment (10 Yuan/one month). People who work here suffer punishment 1-3 years averagelly , but without court sentence. Many of them are Falun Gong practitioners who are totally innocent people. Only because they have different believe to the CCPG, they often suffer more punishment than others. 'I found this in a box of Halloween decorations,' she typed beneath a photo of the letter. The post quickly prompted a flurry of responses. 'I'm sure that person feared for his/her life to include that letter in the products, but it was a chance they were obviously willing to take,' one friend wrote, according to The Oregonian. 'We take our freedom for granted!' 'What's weird to me is someone is actually thinking about, and praying something comes of this... every day of their life since they sent it out,' another wrote. 'Makes me sad this even happens.' Sears Holdings Corporation, which owns Kmart, said in a statement that it was also investigating the matter. 'Sears Holdings has a Global Compliance Program which helps to ensure that vendors and factories producing merchandise for our company adhere to specific Program Requirements, and all local laws pertaining to employment standards and workplace practices,' the company said. 'Failure to comply with any of the Program Requirements, including the use of forced labor, may result in a loss of business or factory termination.' Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253572/Julie-Keith-letter-Plea-help-Chinese-labor-camp-worker-stuffed-Oregon-womans-Halloween-decorations.html#ixzz2GG1Eadso Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter DailyMail on Facebook http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3e4_1356613432 Zipper10 Plea for help from Chinese labor camp worker paid $1.61 per MONTH found stuffed in Oregon woman's Halloween decorations from Kmart Chinese, labor, camp, worker, put, message, in, backpack, asking, for, help