Recently, Shanghai petitioner Ding Deyuan passed away, from his hospitalization to his death, only five days had passed. Many petitioners attended the memorial service with feelings of sorrow and remembrance, but what left them discontented was the presence of five stability maintenance personnel at the event.
On January 11th at 11:45 in the afternoon, Ding Deyuan’s memorial service was held at the peace hall of the Pudong New Area Funeral Home in Shanghai. Ding Deyuan’s daughter delivered a eulogy, followed by relatives and friends bidding farewell to the deceased, and then the family cremated Ding Deyuan’s body, all of which took nearly twenty minutes.
During the process, there were various interventions by stability maintenance personnel. More than twenty petitioners from Shanghai had sent wreaths, but all the wreaths, including those sent by “Shenzhuang Displaced Farmers,” were not allowed to enter the hall, leaving the petitioners feeling angry.
The person who released the “Shanghai Black Prison List,” Song Jiahong, expressed regret in a post, saying, “It is very regrettable that five staff members from the Heqing Town Government in the Pudong New Area, the community to which the Ding family belongs, were sent for stability maintenance at the memorial service. Two of them are Communist Party members. The fact that stability maintenance personnel reached the funeral home, interfering even at the place of the deceased, is truly outrageous! Even after death, they won’t let Ding rest!”
Song Jiahong further commented, “Escorting the deceased for a part of their journey is an expression of heartfelt sorrow by petitioners, a common practice for thousands of years. Yet, this act has been incorporated into ‘stability maintenance,’ a stance that is irreconcilable with our ancestors. Can this society be truly peaceful?”
In December 2025, Ding Deyuan was diagnosed with liver cancer. On December 30th, he wrote his final article titled “An Elder Who Contributed 30 Years Ago.” In early January 2026, Ding was hospitalized due to a bowel obstruction and bloating. He experienced unbearable pain during the treatment process and expressed his frustration on WeChat, saying, “This time I entered the tumor hospital, and for two days, they hung over twenty bags of fluids for me. But my pain has not been alleviated until now, with no treatment given. Are they trying to make me suffer until death? Hence, I refuse to have more fluids administered, but the tumor hospital refuses to stop and also won’t let me leave.”
Some petitioners questioned whether it was truly a case of aiding the sick and saving the dying when Ding passed away only five days after falling ill.
In 1989, Ding Deyuan had made a significant contribution to a key project in Shanghai and was promised a reward of a housing unit by the city government. However, he never received the said property. Despite his requests for verification from the municipal government regarding the property, they consistently failed to verify and did not provide reasons for neglecting the verification.
As a result, he filed a complaint with the State Council Office of the Communist Party of China, but was subjected to stability maintenance by the Heqing Police Station in his jurisdiction. They continuously monitored him and restricted his freedom.
Ding Deyuan reported the police and warned them and even the underworld personnel, but to no avail. His defense actions were wrongly interpreted as “obstructing public duties.” Despite appealing, submitting complaints, and counter-appeals at different levels, the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court and the Shanghai High Court upheld the original verdict, leading to his unjust three years and eight months of imprisonment.
Upon release, he persisted in his appeals and complaints, resulting in his pension being withheld and health insurance being frozen. Consequently, he initiated administrative litigation. The Pudong Court in Shanghai deemed the administrative action of suspending his pension by the Social Security Center as “not inappropriate.” His appeal was rejected.
Song Jiahong lamented, “Seeing Ding’s certificate shining brightly, a person who made a special contribution to the country is unable to receive the state’s care and cannot live with dignity. Where is the meaning of the state?”
Shanghai petitioner Huang Yaonian mourned Ding Deyuan, stating, “Ding, you are a hero of Shanghai citizens. When you were young, you contributed to the construction of Greater Shanghai, and there is evidence to prove it. Corrupt officials deprived you of the rewards you deserved, leading you onto the path of safeguarding rights. Despite facing numerous suppressions, including the withholding of your pension, you remained steadfast, never giving up. Our displaced farmers will turn our sorrow into strength, vowing to fight for rights until the end.”