By Philomena McInaw

The Western world’s demand for cheaper goods provided by factories in China, including  Halloween costumes and decoration, have raised concerns about dehumanising overseas workers and  the grim conditions many of them endure.

The workers risk being detained for trivial reasons or without due process breaching their human rights, a letter found in a box of Halloween decorations back in 2013 claims.

The haunting plea for help was discovered in 2013 among artificial skeletons, tombstones and spider webs.

It alleged workers were detained in a labour camp and forced to work seven days a week (15-hour days) while monitored by sadistic guards.

Workers alleged they would rather die than live in these camps.

This has been documented further by Sun Yi, a former detainee who eventually escaped and found refuge in Jakarta, but bravely returned to the camps to film footage that was used in a documentary called Letter to Masanjia.

The documentary brought international attention to this human rights crisis, premiered at Hot Docs, and has been screened in over 40 festivals, winning over 1000 awards.

The filmwas screened in the European Parliament and in the Canadian Parliament calling on legislative bodies to encourage global accountability and pressure for reforms.

The film gave a stark reminder of the often-unseen human cost of the desire for goods and services and the importance of ethical supply chains.

The resilience of Sun Yi achievements was unprecedented and he later become an engineer.