Shanghai retired policeman Tang Guoliang faced retaliation after exposing corruption in the local public security and judicial system. In September this year, his property was forcibly evicted by the government without reaching a satisfactory agreement, leading to the looting of his home which contained property worth millions of yuan, with the threat of demolition looming. Tang found himself with no recourse, eventually becoming homeless. He expressed that if his house is demolished, it will be a matter of life and death for him and his property.
Tang Guoliang was formerly a household registration policeman at the Xiaodongmen Police Station in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, responsible for maintaining stability and conducting visits to households. Ironically, he ended up becoming the one in need of assistance.
A resident in the jurisdiction, Wang Ming (pseudonym), disclosed that a few years ago, during the relocation of a state-owned enterprise in the area, a two-story house measuring less than fifty square meters was reported by eleven registered households. Tang Guoliang leaked this information, leading to repercussions against him.
According to Wang Ming, Tang once mentioned that officials from the Huangpu District Housing Management Office at Xiaodongmen fraudulently sold house cards to personnel in the public security and judicial departments. “What’s particularly sinister is that on the day the elderly widow in the pavilion room at No. 3, Lane 54, Xundao Street passed away and her household registration was canceled, personnel unrelated to her reported the death to the public security bureau. With no familial relationship, how could a deceased person provide consent?” “Colluding with each other, during relocations, they turned the place into a gambling den, with the police turning a blind eye, implicating corruption issues.”
Wang Ming stated that Tang Guoliang exposed the corruption within the public security and judicial system, resulting in retaliatory actions against him. When facing the eviction, the government not only failed to provide adequate compensation but also pillaged his belongings. “Once he leaked this information, the local government harbored deep resentment towards him. His living conditions are extremely difficult now, and even his daughter is facing persecution.”
The property facing demolition owned by Tang Guoliang is over 60 square meters, situated in the high-priced old district of Shanghai. The compensation offered by the relocation department significantly differs from the market price in the area. Without reaching an agreement on the terms with both parties, the relocation office forced him and his wife out of the house, exerting physical control over them.
An informant, Zhou Yu (pseudonym), mentioned to Epoch Times that Tang Guoliang was once detained by the police in a local hotel, and after his release, he found himself homeless for a week, sleeping on the subway stations and along the roads. Currently, the couple resides in a cramped and narrow prefabricated house without heating or gas, surviving on takeaway meals daily.
For several months, Tang Guoliang has visited various levels of complaint departments in Shanghai, only to face rejection, including the Shanghai Commission for Discipline Inspection, district complaint offices, municipal complaint offices, high courts, and procuratorates. The Huangpu District Procuratorate also refused to accept his case. Zhou Yu expressed, “We accused them of dereliction and abuse of power, but no one paid attention.”
Zhou Yu stated that Tang Guoliang, aware that his house is set for demolition before the Chinese New Year, feels hopeless and is determined to fight for his rights until the end. “They have seized his house and all his belongings. Now they are going to tear down the house, and he will stand with the house until the end.”