In mainland China under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party, the economy is sluggish and people are struggling to make ends meet. Despite this, spending on stability maintenance continues to rise. Several petitioners from Shanghai have revealed that authorities have been illegally detaining and persecuting petitioners through means such as black jails and hiring third-party individuals, all for the sake of a corrupt profit chain.
Shanghai petitioner Chen Tinglan shared with The Epoch Times that in 2007, she spent over a hundred thousand yuan to purchase a house, only to have it unlawfully occupied by the previous owner’s brothers. Despite a court ruling in her favor for the return of the property, the local court refused to enforce the decision, leaving her homeless.
In November 2023, Chen Tinglan petitioned in Beijing and was physically attacked by over ten stability maintenance personnel from Jing’an District. She recounted, “There were so many of them, dragging and lifting me. At that time, the pain was unbearable, as if my heart was tearing apart. They forced me into a car. My tendons were torn, and my bones fractured.”
In July of this year, Chen Tinglan petitioned in Beijing again and was once more illegally detained in a black jail on Chongming Island called “Yufan.” Chen Tinglan suffers from diabetes and relies on medication for survival, but the authorities cut off the supply of insulin and other medications, putting her life at risk. She described her experience, saying, “I felt dizzy and disoriented every day, in a lot of pain.”
Chen Tinglan’s ordeal is just the tip of the iceberg among persecuted petitioners. Shanghai petitioner Liu Dongbao, a 70-year-old from Shimen Erlu Street in Jing’an District, was held in the same black jail for 92 days before and after the military parade and Fourth Plenary Session, where he endured abuse and beatings resulting in permanent disability and paralysis.
After his release, Liu Dongbao filed a report requesting the police to investigate and issue a medical examination report. 136 petitioners from Shanghai launched a rights protection campaign, jointly submitting a “request for government information disclosure” to help Liu Dongbao seek justice, but the Jing’an District authorities refused to accept it.
Shanghai petitioner Song Jiahong commented, “Government officials climb up the ladder based on achievements, and they will suppress anything that affects their promotions instead of solving the problems. Seeking justice from the officials is an uphill battle.”
Shanghai senior petitioner Ma Yalian had her house forcefully demolished in 1998 and was repeatedly detained and subjected to torture, leaving her permanently disabled and dependent on crutches. Ma Yalian lamented, “The government becomes increasingly oppressive, with no way out in sight. There’s no democracy, no rule of law, and no human rights.”
Local governments across China hire a large number of stability maintenance personnel to control petitioners. Where does their funding come from?
Chen Tinglan revealed, “The neighborhood office hires third parties to watch over me, costing nearly 5000 yuan a day. This money serves as profit for the third party. The third party then uses this money to establish connections in various aspects to secure stability maintenance tasks.”
During her detention, Chen Tinglan once overheard the head of the black jail saying that the lack of problem resolution for petitioners is to ensure earning stability maintenance fees. She stated, “Even staff at the National Petition Office said that although the Chinese economy is not doing well, there is an increase in two areas: military spending and stability maintenance fees. The amount spent on maintaining stability per person ranges from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands of yuan per year.”
Chen Tinglan expressed that the Chinese people are struggling in dire circumstances and hope for a change of regime soon. “Without the Communist Party, there can be a new China, offering hope to the common people. This (Communist Party) government is no longer feasible, and we long for the next government.”