On August 12, hundreds of demolition personnel stormed the Miao village of Chengjiang in Xingren Town, Danzhai County, Guizhou, driving out the villagers and forcibly demolishing their homes. Currently, more than 30 households have been rendered homeless, living in makeshift shelters on the mountainside, while the local government continues to harass the villagers.
According to mainland media reports, Guizhou is constructing the largest water conservancy project – the Xuanwei Reservoir. This reservoir is one of the key projects under the “14th Five-Year Plan” water security guarantee plan of the authorities and is a major water conservancy project included in the State Council’s opinions on supporting Guizhou in opening up new paths for development in the new era. The reservoir is located on the upstream of the Qingjiang River in Mabian County, Qiandongnan Autonomous Prefecture, with a total investment of about 5.287 billion yuan and a total construction period of 50 months. It involves the cities of Duyun in Qiannan Prefecture and Kaili, Mabian County, and Danzhai County in Qiandongnan Autonomous Prefecture.
Due to the low compensation for the project’s relocation, the villagers have opposed it. According to villagers, the compensation prices are 480 yuan per square meter for simple houses, 870 yuan per square meter for wooden structures, 1100 yuan per square meter for brick-wood structures, and 1350 yuan per square meter for brick-concrete structures. Moreover, the replacement houses have not been completed yet.
On August 12, a violent forced demolition incident occurred in Chengjiang Village, Xingren Town, Danzhai County. A villager named Xiaoyan revealed to reporters that on that day, hundreds of unidentified individuals, including government officials and police, forcibly entered the villagers’ homes, took them away, and suppressed those who resisted. Xiaoyan’s aunt even had her pants pulled down, and more than ten villagers were taken away before being released after their houses were demolished.
Xiaoyan stated that some villagers were injured during the physical confrontation. The village’s internet was cut off on the day of the incident, and afterwards, villagers posted videos on Douyin. In the middle of the night, the local police station made threatening phone calls as a verbal warning.
“We are truly unjustly treated. Regardless of our willingness, they forcefully demolish houses, targeting specific households, causing villagers to cry out loud with sorrow, as the compensation money is not enough to sustain a living or build houses,” Xiaoyan lamented. She also disclosed that the calculation method for compensation is done on a household-by-household basis, leading villagers to suspect foul play.
It is reported that out of over 300 households in the village, more than 200 have already been forcibly demolished. Since the replacement houses have not been completed, villagers have had to find their own accommodations by seeking help from relatives and friends. Thirty-plus households are now living in makeshift shelters on the mountainside.
Xiaoyan expressed that the government prohibits villagers from living on the mountainside and continuously harasses them, urging them to rent accommodations in town while also pressuring them to sign agreements.
Regarding her own family, Xiaoyan mentioned their house has a history of over 80 years and an elderly relative in their 80s who is accustomed to village life and reluctant to move to town. With most villagers being elderly and younger individuals having already left for work in other provinces, Xiaoyan emphasized that villagers simply want to live a peaceful life in their native village.
The Epoch Times reporter attempted to contact the town government but received no response to the phone calls.