A Shijingshan District resident committed suicide by swallowing poison to protest the local Environmental Sanitation Centre's construction of a public lavatory near his home, reports Beijing Times.

Liu Shanchun and his neighbours had argued several times against construction of the lavatory, which had not been approved by the city's planning department, since building began in early July.

Residents' protests prompted the centre to halt construction for a time, but work resumed on July 25.

Liu then approached the workers at the building site and asked them to stop, but they refused.

The angry Liu swallowed the poison in front of the workers, but none tried to stop him.

He died after emergency medical treatment failed to revive him.

Last Friday, a court ordered the centre to pay Liu's family 110,000 yuan (US$13,300) in compensation.

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