Recently, former Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Lantianli and former Vice Chairman of the Guangxi Political Consultative Conference Peng Xiaochun were successively investigated, sparking a special operation called “Ten-Year Retrospective Investigation” targeting illegal mining and heavy metal pollution. According to Hong Kong media analysis, the unregulated and illegal mining of rare earth elements has severely polluted the environment and impacted national security. Against this backdrop, the tearful complaint from Mr. Mu, a villager from Zhongshan County, Guangxi, reveals the rampant illegal mining at the local level and its serious consequences, providing a vivid illustration of the corruption in the region.
The official website of the Discipline Inspection Commission and the National Supervisory Commission of the Communist Party of China reported on June 16 that former Vice Chairman of the Guangxi Political Consultative Conference, Peng Xiaochun, is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and law” and is currently under investigation.
Earlier, former Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Lantianli was investigated in May.
An article in the Sing Tao Daily analyzes that following the investigation of Lantianli, Chen Gang, Secretary of the Guangxi Party Committee of the Communist Party of China, immediately launched the “Ten-Year Retrospective Investigation on Illegal Mining and Heavy Metal Pollution Issues.” Peng Xiaochun, who is already retired, has become the first “tiger” to fall in this “Ten-Year Retrospective Investigation” operation.
Public information shows that before retirement, Peng Xiaochun was a deputy ministerial-level official of the Communist Party and once served as Secretary of the Baise City Committee of the Communist Party of China in Guangxi. Baise, located in the western mountainous area of Guangxi, is one of the main areas for the extraction of strategic mineral resources such as rare earth elements.
Commentaries in Hong Kong media point out that although Guangxi is rich in mineral resources, areas like Hechi and Baise have suffered severe environmental pollution due to unregulated mining over the years, which has even affected the “national rare earth strategy,” causing anger in Beijing.
It is widely believed that the downfall of Lantianli, known as the “Zhuang King,” may be related to corrupt practices in the extraction of such minerals. As a local cadre in Guangxi, Peng Xiaochun’s tenure as Secretary of the Baise City Committee (2013-2018) coincided with a crucial period of the “Ten-Year Retrospective Investigation,” with Baise being a “hard-hit region” in this operation. Commentaries predict that following the appearance of the first tiger, similar to the experience of the “Twenty-Year Retrospective Investigation on Coal Mining” in Inner Mongolia, there will be more “tigers” and over a hundred department-level cadres investigated.
The experience of Mr. Mu, a villager from Liangan Township, Zhongshan County, Hezhou City, Guangxi, provides a grassroots perspective on the ongoing anti-corruption storm, revealing how illegal mining has spread at the local level and caused severe harm.
In an interview with Epoch Times, Mr. Mu complained that as early as 2017, a rare earth company (hinted to be Aluminum Corporation of China Limited – Rare Earth Company) forcibly conducted rare earth mining in the water conservation forest behind his village under the guise of “emergency recovery due to the collapse of the Guiyang-Guangzhou Railway.” He pointed out that the Guiyang-Guangzhou Railway had been operational for several years, and no significant rare earth deposits were found during its construction. Moreover, the mining site was located one or two kilometers away from the railway, clearly indicating illegal mining under false pretenses as the company had no legitimate mining permit.
He stated that illegal mining led to severe environmental pollution: wastewater from rare earth mining was discharged directly onto farmland, causing severe damage to crops, complete disappearance of fish and shrimp in Baishui Creek, with the polluted water ultimately flowing into the Siqin River. After conducting tests through authoritative institutions, it was confirmed that the levels of ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrates, pH values, and heavy metals such as arsenic in the water samples were significantly exceeded. Mr. Mu suspected that many villagers in recent years have developed diseases such as osteophyte formation, which may be related to water contamination.
Mr. Mu indicated that local government officials (including officials from the Hezhou City People’s Congress Standing Committee) acted as a “protective umbrella” for the rare earth company. They not only turned a blind eye to illegal mining activities but also concealed the facts, not informing villagers about the water quality pollution and failing to take any remedial measures.
He mentioned that he has been subjected to violent repression and retaliation since he started seeking justice from March 2017. On December 8, 2017, he was arrested by the police under the pretext of being an “organizer” and was subjected to beatings, kicks, electric shocks, and other forms of physical coercion. His ribs were broken, and he was forced to sign a “confession.”
Subsequently, he and nine other villagers were arrested on charges of “obstructing official duties,” with Mr. Mu himself being sentenced to one year and three months in prison, only being released in March 2019. He stated that he was frequently bullied in prison, and upon his release, it was discovered that he had broken ribs and lung nodules. He continues to face threats and intimidation to this day, with other villagers no longer seeking justice out of fear, leaving him as the sole advocate for justice.
Mr. Mu mentioned that even after the intervention of the Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team in 2018 (with rumors of the rare earth company being informed and evacuating overnight), mining activities were temporarily halted, but pollution remains unresolved to this day. He believes that the company only carried out some “superficial purification treatment,” which was merely a facade for the inspection team. Villagers no longer dare to drink water from the original water source, and the new water source they use now is often insufficient. Mr. Mu emphasized that rare earth mining inevitably leads to pollution, and restoring the ecology will take a long time.
Mr. Mu’s case reflects that some companies in Guangxi, under the protection of the government, engage in illegal rare earth mining, leading to severe environmental pollution and harm to villagers’ health. During the process of seeking justice, villagers have faced violent repression by the police and judicial retaliation.
He and local residents are extremely outraged and desperate about the actions of the government and businesses, believing that they prioritize profits over the lives and health of the people and the environment, and this injustice and threat persist to this day.