Government denies forced demolitions, protests blocked
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) The central government has denied that there have been forced demolitions and transfers of people from their homes. Meanwhile in recent days protestors have been blocked by police in the Beijing.
Yesterday, March 10, Beijing's chief official for land, resources and zoning, Miao Yueru, denied that people were moved out of their homes in order to advance urban restructuring projects in the capital. However he said that to date 5000 families have been transfered from their homes and in the near future another 6000 will suffer the same fate, involving about 18,000 persons in all.
Miao Yueru added that a government order has been issued to demolish 5 million square meters of residential neighborhoods which will "launch Beijing into the 21st century. The state official acknowledged that this will involve finding new living conditions for 300,000 people. Yet he denied that force had been used recently.
Yet according to him, of the 86,265 transfers in 2002, only 174,000 occurred by means of force.
Last month the Geneva-based Center on Housing Rights and Evictions reported that 100,000 families (composed of 3 members on average) were forced to move from their homes.
This issue concerning evictions and forced demotions of homes comes at a time when China is gearing up to host the 2008 Olympics (cf. AsiaNews dossier, "New Churches built to destroy even more'). The problem has taken on frightening proportions in many Chinese cities. During the National People's Congress (NPC) tens of thousands of citizens went to the capital to protest against their homes being knocked down. What's worse, they complain, is that often they are not properly compensated by the government.
Police keep watch in the capital to prevent demonstrations from taking place. Even before the PNC had gotten underway police clashed with citizens in Beijing's hotel district as they forced many people to return home. Some citizens were actually arrested during the confrontations.
On March 1 thousands of Chinese were locked in a gym in Shijingshan in the west suburbs of the capital. One the gym's director's confirmed the incident yet refused to say how many people were involved. "It (the lock-in) lasted 1 or 2 days. I can only say that the facility can hold up to 3000 people," he added. A gym employee denied the number, but said that most of the gym's 1000 square meters were filled with people. "We have always worked hard (to keep the place clean). Afterward it was completely filthy."
Liu Anjun, an activist from Beijing on visit in Shijingshan, said that several thousand people were held there, even on the outdoor track where they were divided up according to province. Provincial police brought the detained citizens back to their homes in vans. Police and local authorities refused to comment on the matter.
Chen Shoutian,who traveled to Beijing from Wuhan, said: "I have been staying in a small hotel for some weeks now. On March 4, the owner of my hotel woke me up and told me to leave early in the morning, since police were expected to arrive there by 8:00 a.m. Hence, I have been hiding out in the suburbs (of the city) for a few days now." He then added, "I don't' get it. At the PNC they talk about (defending) human rights and private property, but we don't even have the right to stay in a hotel and file police reports."
Since 1991 1.8 million persons have be moved from their homes in Beijing alone. Non-governmental organizations say that through the year 2008 thousands more will be evicted. (MR)
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11/08/2017 20:05
