Early last week, around the start of September, things were quite lively around the SEZ. First, on the 8th, authorities ran a major sweep at Xinshengtai, rounding up over 80 Vietnamese nationals in one go. Right after that on the 10th, they hit the Jinshuiwan area, where locals said dozens more were hauled in for questioning.
All these people are currently locked up at the local security bureau. Anyone walking past the area knows the group is inside eating sticky rice now. How they will actually be dealt with depends on how the investigations go.
Lately, the exhaust fumes from motorbikes on the street feel thicker than usual, and people chatting over tea at the roadside stalls are whispering about how tight the checks are right now. No matter where you are making a living, you have to keep your nose clean when you are away from home, just to avoid getting hauled into the security bureau for a taste of their rice.
