The Tangshan protest occurred in 2004 after more than 11,000 farmers in Hebei Province, China, signed a petition calling for the removal of Communist Party officials who were allegedly involved in corruption. The protest led to a crackdown on rights activists and further repression of the farmers.

Petition

Between 1992 and 1997, 23,000 Chinese farmers were resettled in Tangshan City, Hebei, to make way for the Taolinkou reservoir, some 100 km (62 mi) to the east of Beijing. By 2004, more than eight years after they had been moved, the displaced farmers had not been properly compensated. The farmers asserted that up to 60 million yuan of compensation funds had been misappropriated by officials from the local government. They said they were owed 13,000 yuan (U.S. $1,570) per household in compensation but some had received only half the amount, while others had received nothing.[1]

Under the leadership of Zhang Youren, a peasant activist, the farmers organised a petition. In February 2004, a group of ten farmer representatives traveled to the capital to submit their petition to the National People's Congress.[2] In his opening speech to the Congress, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao promised a crackdown on corruption and illegal land seizures.[3] Nevertheless, the farmers from Tangshan were rounded up by the Beijing police who accused them of being Falun Gong members and subversives.[4] Zhang Youren was put under pressure to denounce the 'criminals' who had supported the petition. Zhao Yan quickly lost his job with the China Reform magazine and by the end of the year he had been imprisoned; he was still in jail two years later when the authorities finally convicted him of fraud.[5] Li Boguang was arrested in December 2004 but released after a few weeks on condition that he had no further involvement in farmer protests.[6] Yu Meisun, who had already served an earlier jail sentence, was able to publish an online diary that gave details of police harassment.

References

  1. ↑ "Activist Who Locked Horns With Tangshan Mayor Under House Arrest". Radio Free Asia. June 7, 2004. Archived from the original on October 25, 2005. Retrieved 2018-06-17.
  2. ↑ "河北农民活动人士张友仁遭拘禁(04年7月7日) - 2004-07-07". 美国之音 (in Chinese). 7 July 2004. Retrieved 2023-01-28. 自从搬迁到唐山丰南区胥各庄镇大王庄以后，张友仁八年来一直领头为维护移民的合法权益向有关部门反映，到北京上访告状。今年2月30号人大政协两会召开前夕，张友仁又带领十名移民代表到北京，准备向大会呈交一万一千二百八十三名移民签名的"要求罢免唐山市委书记张和的全国人大代表资格和河北省人大代表资格的动议书"，但被赶到北京的唐山市公安人员押回唐山。此后，张友仁被强迫在丰南医院接受治疗长达三个月。
  3. ↑ Yardley, Jim (March 8, 2004). "Chinese appeal to Beijing to resolve local complaints". Problem International. Archived from the original on 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2018-06-17.
  4. ↑ "Police suppress protesters bound for China's parliament". Problem International. March 8, 2004. Archived from the original on 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2018-06-17.
  5. ↑ "Chinese court jails NYT researcher for 3 years". Channel News Asia. August 25, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-08-29. Retrieved 2018-06-17.
  6. ↑ "Chinese Authorities Release Farmers' Rights Activist on Bail But Restrict His Activities". CECC Virtual Academy. March 14, 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-03-31. Retrieved 2018-06-17.

Further reading

  • Diary of a Peasant Advocate, Yu Meisun, China Rights Forum, 2004/3, pages 61–67 PDF.
  • Selected reports on Incidents relating to forced evictions, March 2003 - January 2005, Congressional Executive Commission on China PDF
  • Property Seizure in China, Roundtable Report, 21 June 2004, Congressional Executive Commission on China PDF.
  • Ruling the Chinese Countryside: Rights Consciousness, Collective Action and Property Rights, Christopher Heurlin, 2006, University of Washington, PDF
  • Chinese Society: Change Conflict and Resistance, Elizabeth Perry (ed.), 2003, Routledge ISBN 9780415301695

See also

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