With the 18th national congress approaching in China, CCP authorities have begun mass arrests of petitioners in a bid to maintain stability. Police in Beijing even forced landlords to evict petitioners from other areas and threatened landlords that their houses would be demolished if they didn't cooperate. Petitioners say the 18th national congress is a disaster for them.
[Sichuan Petitioner Living in Luu Village, Beijing]:
"Police talked with the boss yesterday. They don't allow the boss to rent a room to petitioners like us. Ask us to move out within one week. Otherwise they'll demolish the boss' house."
On Tuesday, Guo Jinlong, the Beijing Party Secretary emphasized that Beijing is the top priority for maintaining stability in the country. On the same day, Beijing police went to Luu village where they forced the landlord of this petitioner to tenants who were petitioners. And they launched large-scale arrests of petitioners in Beijing in conjunction with local governments.
[Hu Daliao, Petitioner from Henan province]:
"The 18th national congress is a big disaster for petitioners. Many petitioners were monitored in my hometown. If we are arrested and sent home, we'll be put under house arrest, detention or sent to a labor camp."
Reporter:
Many people have been arrested in Beijing, is that right?
[Staff of Central Hospital, Zhoukou City]:(female)(00:45-1:02)
"Many. In the past few days 4 or 5 hundred people. Many people have been sent to labor camps. And many people are detained at home. Because the 18th national congress is coming, the government won't resolve problems of citizens. Instead they control them for stability. They detain people and send them to labor camps. More than 100 people have been put into detention in Henan province. Not to mention how many people have been arrested around the country."
Petitioners criticized authorities for abusing their power by suppressing petitioners. They said authorities only care about their positions instead of the lives of citizens.
Sun Hongqin, Petitioner from Shanghai:
"No way to live on, really. I know the petition won't work. But I have to speak out. The central government holds conferences on petitions time and time again. Shanghai has a petition conference too. But reality is that no officials care about our situation."
Petitioners said that the reason why so many petitioners stay in Beijing is because authorities across the country are corrupt. The main problem in China they said is that the government isn't elected by its citizens.
NTD reporters Xiong Bin, Jin Tong
