An elderly 94-year-old disabled woman in Shanghai, Liu Shuzhen, who has been petitioning for 19 years due to the forced demolition of her house, has been under strict surveillance by the Chinese authorities at a hotel for over 100 days in 2024. Recently, she spoke out against the serious impact that stability maintenance (“weiwen”) has had on her quality of life and freedom of movement.
The elderly woman lived in her private house on Shangnan Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, which was illegally demolished in August 2005. She has not received any compensation or resettlement ever since, as the case was concluded in 2019.
According to Liu Shuzhen’s daughter, Cui Fufang, the government had promised not to force any households to move for the World Expo held in Shanghai in 2010 and to provide resettlement for everyone. However, these promises were not fulfilled.
For the past 19 years, Liu Shuzhen has resided in Room 223 of the Qingchun Hotel on Matou Road, Pudong New Area. Her sole focus in life has been on advocating for her rights. Every Wednesday, she can be seen in front of the Shanghai Municipal Government Plaza during the mayor’s reception day.
Liu Shuzhen stated that for a large part of this year, she has been under strict control without freedom. She was under control for 28 days from February 19 to March 17, 16 days from March 28 to April 12, 10 days from April 26 to May 5, and 48 days from June 14 to July 31.
On August 23, the police from the Zhoujiadu Sub-district Police Station in Pudong New Area of Shanghai received orders from their superiors to closely monitor Liu Shuzhen.
Liu Shuzhen expressed that with just a single word from the leadership, stability maintenance funds can be obtained, and the process is much faster than implementing central documents and the “Regulations on Petitioning Work.” She mentioned that she hasn’t received any money, meal allowances, or daily necessities. “The police station can freely use stability maintenance funds, open more rooms, and pay more personnel expenses, and the leadership can approve it at will.”
Liu Shuzhen questioned why a 94-year-old disabled woman should be treated like a criminal, as criminals are taken care of in custody. She demanded that her private property be returned by the government and developers in Pudong New Area.