Resident stays put through frightening eviction battle

By Meng Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-15 08:24

Resident stays put through frightening eviction battle

A Yanqing town resident is determined to stay in his half-destroyed home, despite heavy-handed attempts to evict him by dozens of black-suited guards armed with powder fire extinguishers.

Kang Shunqing, of Ziyoujie village, wants the local government to increase its compensation offer.

Dozens of guards appeared at his home on Tuesday, trying to get him to move out.

After a day-long confrontation and with the help of residents and neighbors, the eviction failed.

Kang said he suffered a bleeding finger and an injured leg during the attempt.

"About three guards with powder fire extinguishers targeted me. I couldn't open my eye at the time," Kang said on Wednesday.

However, he managed to stay in the house while the guards began to demolish the building.

Kang's house is now partially destroyed. It has no windows and the roof is severely damaged. However, he and his wife have decided to stay.

"Dust covers my bed and the house is extremely cold at night. But I cannot move, otherwise they will demolish my house completely," Kang said.

Since September 2009, about 500 houses in the area have been demolished - believed to be part of a redevelopment plan - but 26 householders, including Kang, have refused to move.

Kang who has lived there since 1984, believed the compensation offer was "unreasonably low" and the behavior of using powder fire extinguishers as a weapon has broken the law.

He said his 140-sq-m house has the potential to be expanded to 300 sq m.

"I can built a basement and add a second floor, but the government has only agree to offer me the compensation of a 165-sq-m house, " he said.

Kang has not received further notice from the government but said he would not leave unless he received an acceptable compensation offer.

A witness surnamed Dong said the attempt lasted from about 8 am to 4 pm. He believed that 54 powder fire extinguishers from a nearby shop were sold out before the demolition.

"The demolition was so uncivilized. You cannot imagine it unless you saw it," he said.

Yanqing town's local government officials said they were not sure about the demolition and referred METRO to the demolition office.

But the demolition office's phone was constantly busy despite several attempts to call it.