Inside China Today

Over 100 petitioners dispersed by police while applying to march

A group of petitioners applying for a marching demonstration at Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau earlier this month were dispersed by police after the petitioners chanted “down with greedy officials” and “return my home”.
Most of the one hundred petitioners are displaced Beijing residents. When an Associated Press reporter interviewed one of the petitioners, Mr. Sun, a police officer came and moved the foreign reporter away before threatening the petitioners.

Ms Wang’s residence was forcibly demolished without a demolition permit when Beijing’s Xi-Chen was being demolished and relocated. Ms Wang brought her case before the court, but was orally told that the court would not accept the case. In September 2006 when Ms Wang again went to court to have her problems resolved, the Bureau of Public Security detained her for 10 days.

It is common for homes to be forcibly demolished in China and residents rarely receive adequate compensation and proper alternative housing. Despite constant petitioning to different government departments, displaced residents cannot have their issues resolved and often face suppression by officials during their petitioning, and end up detained in labour camps.