Former petition officer petitions his own case
- Source: Global Times
- [17:44 December 11 2009]
- Comments
Wu Zongming used to work at the Guiping Petition office in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Wu Zongming, a former director of the petition office in Guiping, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region began his own appeal journey as one of those petitioners he used to receive before he retired from the position seven years ago.
A key canal project in Guiping is relocating over 200 families, including Wu, because a canal will be dug where their houses are currently located. But the petitioners like Wu are not satisfied with the amount of compensation for relocation.
Wu received some 250,000 yuan ($36,611) as compensation for his demolished house, but according to the assessment by an evaluation agency, his home is worth over 380,000 yuan ($55,648).
According to the Urban Housing Demolition and Relocation Regulations, homeowners will be compensated with enough money to purchase a new house with the same market value as the original one.
When Wu submitted his appeal letter, the 64-year-old was anxious. "I worked in this office, and I know petitions are of little help," he told the China Youth Daily Thursday.
The petition offices have no power in enforcing the law when it comes to cases of demolition and relocation. Its role is to coordinate, inform and request. Most cases are ignored or passed on to other bureaus, Wu said.
Wu demanded in vain for justice not only for himself but the other relocated petitioners at other government bureaus, such as the Guiping Construction Projects Office, the Transportation Bureau of Guangxi, and the Land Resources Bureau of Guangxi. But until now they have not heard from these bodies.
"If there aren't more effective appealing channels, public rights will be susceptible to being infringed by the authorities," said Yu Jianrong, a social scholar based in Beijing.
