China
10.01.03
Urgent Interventions
China: attempt to evict five families and police retaliation
Case CHN 100103.ESCRC
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
Threat of eviction/ Violations of the right to adequate housing/ Cruel, Inhuman and degrading treatment
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in China
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of the attempt to evict five families in the Fengtai District (Beijing), along with police retaliation against these families as a result of them protesting about their imminent forcible eviction.
According to the information received, in the early hours of January 4, Christian activist Hua Huiqi and his family, along with members of four other families marched from Hua’s home to Tiananmen Square to protest against the forced clearance of their neighbourhood and the cutting-off of electricity and water to their homes as a tactic to speed their departure. The Public Security Police reportedly intercepted them before they could reach Tiananmen Square.
According to the information received, soon after the circulation of the reports of the aborted protest in the media, on January 5 at approximately 8 p.m., around 10 unidentified men burst into Hua’s house and forced all of the occupants to the floor, including Hua’s elderly parents. The intruders then allegedly removed all of the portable heaters from the house and mockingly said to Hua “Why don’t you go on another protest to Tiananmen!”.
According to the information received, all this occurred while Hua’s home was surrounded by police officers. According to Hua Huiqi and other observers, the intruders were sent by the police and could even have been plain-clothes policemen. It is reported that Hua’s home in the Fengtai district remains surrounded by a dozen police officers led by the head of the Fengtai division of Beijing’s Public Security Bureau. A friend who tried to visit the family reported that a police officer warned him “if you come here again we will arrest you and take you away”. The current living conditions in Hua’s home are reportedly very harsh given that, in addition to the absence of electricity and water, the intruders removed all the heaters and Beijing’s temperature has dropped well below freezing.
Following the assault, Hua’s elderly parents, Hua Zaichen and Shuang Shuying reportedly went to protest outside of the Government office at Zhongnahai, where the Public Security Police manhandled them into a police vehicle and escorted them back to their home.
Background information
According to the information received, Hua Huiqi and his family, along with other families from the Fengtai District, are under heavy pressure to leave their home. At the end of 2002, officials allegedly told Hua Huiqi and several other families living in Fengtai that the neighbourhood was being cleared for redevelopment and that they would have to move by December 31. Given that they have no other alternative than to live on the streets, five families, including Hua Huiqi’s, refused to leave and staged the aforementioned protest that was headed to Tiananmen Square.
The Hua Huiqi’s reportedly moved into their current house in the Fengtai after their forcible removal from their previous neighbourhood, where their house was demolished. At that time, the Hua Huiqi family protested for some time against the redevelopment of their neighbourhood and the need for them to make a payment of more than RMB 100’000.-- (approximately USD 12’200.--) to be relocated to alternative housing, an amount they could not afford. Consequently, Hua Huiqi family was forcibly removed to temporary accommodation in Fengtai, where they are again under threat of eviction.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in the People's Republic of China, urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Hua Huiqi, his family and of the 4 other families ;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of the above-mentioned persons;
iv. guarantee the right to adequate housing of the five families;
v. guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses
· President Jiang Zemin, People's Republic of China; C/o Embassy of the People's Republic of China; 2300 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, D.C., 20008: Fax: + 01 202 588-0032
· President Jiang Zemin, People's Republic of China; c/o Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China, Chemin de Surville 11, Case postale 85, 1213 Petit-Lancy 2, Geneva, Switzerland, fax: +4122 7937014, e-mail: mission.china@ties.itu.int
· President Jiang Zemin, Chinese Communist Party, Yongdingmen CK Street, Beijing 100032, PRC
· Minister of Justice Zhang Fusen Sifaju, 10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie Chaoyangqu Beijingshi 100020, People's Republic of China, Telegram: Justice Minister, Beijing, China, Fax: +86 10 65 292345
· Mayor, Beijing Municipal People's Government Beijingshi Renmin Zhengfu 2, Zhengyilu Dongchengqu Beijingshi 100744, PRC.
Please also write to the embassies of in the People's Republic of China of in your respective country.
Geneva, January 10, 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
Threat of eviction/ Violations of the right to adequate housing/ Cruel, Inhuman and degrading treatment
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in China
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of the attempt to evict five families in the Fengtai District (Beijing), along with police retaliation against these families as a result of them protesting about their imminent forcible eviction.
According to the information received, in the early hours of January 4, Christian activist Hua Huiqi and his family, along with members of four other families marched from Hua’s home to Tiananmen Square to protest against the forced clearance of their neighbourhood and the cutting-off of electricity and water to their homes as a tactic to speed their departure. The Public Security Police reportedly intercepted them before they could reach Tiananmen Square.
According to the information received, soon after the circulation of the reports of the aborted protest in the media, on January 5 at approximately 8 p.m., around 10 unidentified men burst into Hua’s house and forced all of the occupants to the floor, including Hua’s elderly parents. The intruders then allegedly removed all of the portable heaters from the house and mockingly said to Hua “Why don’t you go on another protest to Tiananmen!”.
According to the information received, all this occurred while Hua’s home was surrounded by police officers. According to Hua Huiqi and other observers, the intruders were sent by the police and could even have been plain-clothes policemen. It is reported that Hua’s home in the Fengtai district remains surrounded by a dozen police officers led by the head of the Fengtai division of Beijing’s Public Security Bureau. A friend who tried to visit the family reported that a police officer warned him “if you come here again we will arrest you and take you away”. The current living conditions in Hua’s home are reportedly very harsh given that, in addition to the absence of electricity and water, the intruders removed all the heaters and Beijing’s temperature has dropped well below freezing.
Following the assault, Hua’s elderly parents, Hua Zaichen and Shuang Shuying reportedly went to protest outside of the Government office at Zhongnahai, where the Public Security Police manhandled them into a police vehicle and escorted them back to their home.
Background information
According to the information received, Hua Huiqi and his family, along with other families from the Fengtai District, are under heavy pressure to leave their home. At the end of 2002, officials allegedly told Hua Huiqi and several other families living in Fengtai that the neighbourhood was being cleared for redevelopment and that they would have to move by December 31. Given that they have no other alternative than to live on the streets, five families, including Hua Huiqi’s, refused to leave and staged the aforementioned protest that was headed to Tiananmen Square.
The Hua Huiqi’s reportedly moved into their current house in the Fengtai after their forcible removal from their previous neighbourhood, where their house was demolished. At that time, the Hua Huiqi family protested for some time against the redevelopment of their neighbourhood and the need for them to make a payment of more than RMB 100’000.-- (approximately USD 12’200.--) to be relocated to alternative housing, an amount they could not afford. Consequently, Hua Huiqi family was forcibly removed to temporary accommodation in Fengtai, where they are again under threat of eviction.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in the People's Republic of China, urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Hua Huiqi, his family and of the 4 other families ;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. put an immediate end to the persecution and harassment of the above-mentioned persons;
iv. guarantee the right to adequate housing of the five families;
v. guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with international human rights standards.
Addresses
· President Jiang Zemin, People's Republic of China; C/o Embassy of the People's Republic of China; 2300 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, D.C., 20008: Fax: + 01 202 588-0032
· President Jiang Zemin, People's Republic of China; c/o Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China, Chemin de Surville 11, Case postale 85, 1213 Petit-Lancy 2, Geneva, Switzerland, fax: +4122 7937014, e-mail: mission.china@ties.itu.int
· President Jiang Zemin, Chinese Communist Party, Yongdingmen CK Street, Beijing 100032, PRC
· Minister of Justice Zhang Fusen Sifaju, 10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie Chaoyangqu Beijingshi 100020, People's Republic of China, Telegram: Justice Minister, Beijing, China, Fax: +86 10 65 292345
· Mayor, Beijing Municipal People's Government Beijingshi Renmin Zhengfu 2, Zhengyilu Dongchengqu Beijingshi 100744, PRC.
Please also write to the embassies of in the People's Republic of China of in your respective country.
Geneva, January 10, 2003
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.