Extreme Action Against Forced Demolition

Wenhui Xu
By Wenhui Xu
December 5, 2020NTD Evening News
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A resident of China’s Shanghai paid the ultimate price while trying to protect his home from destruction.

In China, the practice of forced demolition has become commonplace. When the Chinese regime decides to use areas of land for new, often more profitable purposes, it simply sends workers to tear down any residential housing present. Homeowners are usually given little to no compensation and are left homeless.

On Sunday, demolition workers arrived at the man’s house. In an effort to stop the demolition, he ignited a gas tank on the property, causing an explosion that killed him on the spot. Several others also suffered severe injuries.

The incident took place inside one of Shanghai’s most prosperous commercial areas.

Homeowners there refused to relocate. That’s because the compensation given by authorities is far from enough to buy a new, comparably priced home.

One woman from the neighborhood told us that few households there still remain, and property developers have already arranged the sale of the land.

She explained that at the time of the explosion, the homeowner was at home with his son.

His wife was away, taking care of their pregnant daughter-in-law at the hospital.

At around seven o’clock in the morning, the demolition workers began using force to try to take the man’s son away.

“The father was so desperate that he threw the gas tank. He died immediately. There’s nothing he could do but fight back this way because ordinary people have no power or influence,” said Shanghai resident Ms. Shen.

Another forced demolition victim from the area shared a video online back in early November. It accused the regime of robbing him of his private property and of violating multiple laws.

“The regime sold Dongjiadu Lot 3 to property developer Greentown Group, and the company has been holding the land for 20 years. Now, the district government is acting as the developer’s hired hatchet man. I will defend my home until my last breath and willingly die along with the invaders,” said an anonymous Shanghai resident.

Holding land for that long can cause major problems. That’s because in China, when a person of company purchases property, they become the owner of the building. But the land the structure is built on still belongs to the regime.

In addition, the regime sets a time limit for land usage rights—normally around 70 years for residential land. The clock starts ticking immediately once the land is bought by a developer.

In this case, the developer’s decision to hold the land for 20 years means that the homeowners will be left with a maximum of 50 years to use the land. When that time expires, they’ll be forced to pay fees to renew the land rights if authorities give the green light.

But if the regime refuses to grant another term, or if it wants the land back before that time expires, it leads to the violent forced demolitions that are have become commonplace.

Reporting by Xu Wenhui, NTD News

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