Family sees progress in case of self-immolation to protest eviction

Source: Global Times
[11:29 September 20 2010]
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By Zhao Ran

The situation surrounding the remains of a man who set himself on fire to protest government plans to evict his family from their home has been resolved.

Ye Zhongcheng, who was 79 years old, was one of three members of a family in Yihuang, Jiangxi Province, who set themselves on fire earlier this month , died of his injuries on Saturday.

Ye and his niece, Zhong Ruqin, 31, and his sister, Luo Zhifeng, 59, set themselves alight on September 10. They had not reached a compensation deal with the local government who wished to demolish Zhong's home to make way for a new transport hub, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Yangtse Evening Post yesterday quoted a sister of Zhong Ruqin, called Zhong Rujiu, as saying on a microblog that county officials forcibly removed the remains of her uncle Ye, despite the opposition of the family.

On Friday, eight officials in Yihuang county were placed under investigation and also removed from their posts in connection with this case.

Su Jianguo the county chief of Yihuang, who is allegedly responsible for the forced removal of the remains is said to be one of the officials who is under investigation in connection with the family's case.

Zhong Rujiu also said that following Ye's death, she and her elder sister tried to go to Beijing to seek legal help, but were detained by officials at the airport in the provincial capital, Nanchang.

She added that the officials were led by Qiu Jianguo, Party secretary of Yihuang county. Zhong Rujiu said that the two women hid in a restroom at the airport and called a local reporter, before they were eventually freed.

But Lei Xianggen a spokesperson for Yihuang county, told the Global Times that the local government had not given any instructions to remove Ye's remains and to stop the family from seeking legal help.

Lei also said that those who were found to be responsible in this eviction case would face severe punishment. "Our primary task is to save those who were injured, and the family will be compensated accordingly."

Zhong Rucui, the elder sister, told the Global Times yesterday that the officials have released her uncle's body to a local funeral parlor, and they are consulting with lawyers sent by Wai Cailiang, a Beiing-based specialist in demolition regulations.

"My mother and my sister are still in critical condition, but the local government promised us they would underwrite their treatment costs, and they promised that we would not be detained. My family has seen a ray of hope as we know these officials have been investigated and were removed from their posts" Zhong added. "But I am still worried that they were investigated due to the massive public pressure, and that they could possibly be released."