Chinese rights lawyers mobilize for milk powder victims

By Chris Buckley

BEIJING (Reuters) - Dozens of Chinese lawyers and rights campaigners have mobilized to support families stricken by toxic infant milk powder, underscoring the political volatility of the nation's latest food safety scandal.

One of the 73 lawyers and activists so far behind the push to help the families said on Thursday they had received nearly a thousand phone inquiries and called the campaign a breakthrough.

"The victims definitely want compensation, and if the government doesn't come through, this could become China's biggest ever collective legal action," said Li Fangping, a Beijing lawyer who often represents dissidents and protesters.

"I do think this is a first. It shows Chinese people's consciousness of the law and their rights is growing and lawyers are become more interested in helping the disadvantaged."

In recent years, China's ruling Communist Party has become more candid in dealing with this and other worries and diseases threatening citizens. But the one-party government is still wary of that candor giving way to protests and direct challenges.

A loose network of "rights defence" lawyers and activists has, however, regularly seized upon official scandals and public scares to press for stronger citizen rights.

Now they have the offending milk companies and their official patrons in their sights.

"Our main aim is to help parents seek compensation," said Lu Jun, a rights activist in Beijing who helped form the group. "But we hope through this to encourage rule of law."

Activists began organizing voluntary legal advice for families last week, immediately after the Sanlu Group revealed it had sold infant milk powder adulterated with melamine, which can cause kidney stones and other organ problems.

Since then the government count of children left ill from toxic milk powder grew from tens to hundreds and has now reached 6,244, with four dead and 158 suffering "acute kidney failure". And the number of Chinese milk companies found with products containing melamine has grown to 22.

But a bulletin issued by the lawyers said the problem could be even larger, with many cases still unreported and some parents having difficulty getting the free medical treatment promised.

"These families often come from rural areas and don't know how to deal with hospitals and officials," said Chang Boyang, a lawyer from central China's Henan province who joined the campaign. "Sometimes hospitals have refused treatment fearing they'll bear responsibility for any problems."

During past pollution scares, safety scandals and worksite disasters, the Chinese government warned off activists encouraging victims to complain and sue.

Some lawyers joining the milk powder campaign have already come under pressure, said the activist Lu.

"I know some lawyers have said they were under pressure from judicial authorities to drop out," he said. "The officials don't say why they're worried."

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)