SOH News

Breaking News - Fujing government cracks down on displaced residents in the wake of a national disaster

On May 24, officials including the deputy Mayor of Fujing city in Heilongjiang Province, Gao Qinggu,  led police, military police and one hundred unknown personnel to the streets in the city centre and brutally attacked residents whose homes are being resumed. The group vandalised 80 homes and their businesses, using forklifts and demolition machines to destroy more than 30 homes.
According to eyewitness reports, residents were dragged out from their homes and were beaten with weapons. Women, elderly and the disabled were also attacked. Those with businesses had their goods trashed. A resident who’s being forcibly removed said that this is a man-made earthquake, it’s worse than the earthquake, displaced residents couldn’t bring anything with them, including their clothes or pots and pans.

One resident told reporters that it was just tragic, and as the homes were single stories, they were totally flattened and nothing in the homes could be taken.

According to residents whose homes are being resumed, they received resumption notice from the government in May 2007 forcing over 80 residents in Fujing city centre to relocate. An agreement could not be reached, as the government’s valuation of the homes was too low.

One resident said that Gao Qingguo announced on 1 October 2007 that they will not ask us to move, but on April 9 this year he announced that we have to move, and that the policy has not changed. We did not agree, so did not sign the papers.

According to residents, the surprise attack led by the deputy Mayor took them by surprise, and that this was carefully crafted by the officials. Their aim was not only to demolish homes but also to take revenge on the residents who were upholding their rights. The violent bashing of residents and trashing of their possessions shows the total disregard by the attackers of the residents’ basic rights.

The above news is brought to you by Qian Wen and Chris Thomas for Breaking News on the SOH Radio Network.