China Arrests Petitioners in July 1 Crackdown

July 1 marks the 12 year anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China. For the past 12 years, this day has been commemorated with an annual protest rally that draws thousands of people. But it’s not just Hong Kong residents who use this day to protest, many petitioners inside China also travel to Hong Kong to petition on July 1st. According to one petitioner, though, the Chinese Regime has been arresting them in a pre-July 1 crackdown.

Jinbao Shen is from Shanghai. He and five others, who are members of a group of Chinese petitioners, traveled to Hong Kong at the beginning of June to petition against the World Expo project in Shanghai. Their houses had been destroyed and they had been forced to move.

They timed their trip to coincide with the 20 year anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4. But according to Jinbao Shen’s ex-wife, Jinti Zhu, all five were arrested and detained by the local police on June 26th.

Petitioner Jinti Zhu believes this is a deliberate crackdown by the Chinese Communist Party in the lead up to July 1. She’s calling for the rescue of her ex-husband.

[Jinti Zhu, Shanghai Petitioner]:(female)
„I must urgently call to rescue my ex-husband because he went to Hong Kong on 1st of June with four other petitioners. Now before 1st of July, the Chinese Communist Party begins to crackdown on us petitioners. Now he has already been sent to jail.“

Jinti Zhu says that the Chinese Communist Party steals people’s property and then asks them to maintain stability and keep silent.

[Jinti Zhu, Shanghai Petitioner]:(female)
„The CCP has stolen our property and belongings. So we came out to safeguard our rights and ask for help from the media to expose the government. The CCP calls us an enemy organization. Why should we become petitioners? The authorities could make thousands of people homeless just because it wanted to build a world expo.“

Construction of the World Expo, due to open in May 2010, is forcing many people out of their homes with minimal compensation.

(NTDTV)