China: Over 1,500 petitioners said arrested in Beijing since 14 July

396 字
2008 年 7 月 18 日 15:55
BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
英文
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Text of report by Hong Kong Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy on 16 July

[Report: "Petitioner from Jiangxi Commits Suicide by Jumping Off Bridge in Beijing"]

16 July 2008 - Our centre has learned that a laid off worker from Nanchang, Jiangxi, committed suicide by jumping off Taoranting Bridge near Beijing's Southern Rail Terminal at noon yesterday after failing to make petition in Beijing. The Chongwen district public security subbureau confirmed to us that a petitioner took her own life and disclosed part of her identity.

A source close to the liaison office of Jiangxi province in Beijing told inquirers that the deceased, surnamed Li, was a laid off worker who had come to Beijing to petition more than once. Public security officers from the Chongwen district public security subbureau and the Yongwai police substation in Chongwen district confirmed to us that the person who committed suicide was a 54-year-old woman and that she was carrying a train ticket from Nanchang, Jiangxi. Our centre has received an email from an informant saying that the woman who committed suicide had gone to the letters and calls reception centre of the NPC and State Council for petition, but was detained by the police the day before yesterday. She was to be repatriated back to Jiangxi, but suddenly took her own life by jumping off the bridge. She did not fall into the water but was killed after landing on the riverbank.

Beijing began tracking down and arresting petitioners from various parts of the country on the evening of 14 July. Some of these people were handed over to the liaison offices of these places in Beijing after their arrest, to be repatriated back to their hometowns. At least 1,500 petitioners have been arrested so far.

Officials of all localities have signed "pledges" to strictly control the number of petitioners heading for Beijing. After the Olympics, all provinces and cities will compile a list of rankings for petitioners in relation to their total number of people. Officials from localities at the top of this list will have no hope for promotion and may face punishment. (Petition rate = number of petitioners to Beijing divided by local population)

Source: Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Hong Kong, in Chinese 16 Jul 08