In order to aggressively promote cremation policy, the government of Anshun in Guizhou recently dispatched a large number of official personnel to the village of Yanshang in the Leping Town, Pingba District, to forcibly take away the corpses of villagers, leading to violent clashes between the police and the villagers.
On August 5th, an account named “Yesterday” on social media platform X, known for reporting mainland China’s human rights issues, released a video exposing the situation in the village of Yanshang in Leping Town, Pingba District, Guizhou. The village is a mixed community of Miao, Bai, and Han ethnic groups, where local villagers have traditionally practiced burial for generations to ensure peace for the deceased. However, the local government is now demanding that villagers send the bodies of the deceased to a crematorium to promote the cremation policy.
After the recent death of a villager, the family conducted a traditional burial. The local government then prepared to enter the village to take the corpse by force. In an attempt to prevent the government from taking away the body, starting on August 3rd, villagers set up tents at the village entrance and placed four coffins to block the corpse-grabbing team from entering the village.
On August 4th, the local government deployed a team of hundreds of fully armed police officers and officials to enter Yanshang village. When the team reached the roadblock set up by the protesting villagers, a fierce conflict erupted between the two sides.
Video footage shows the police using batons to beat the villagers, while the villagers retaliated with sticks, bricks, and ignited firecrackers. The scene was chaotic with explosions and smoke, resembling a battlefield. Ultimately, the villagers managed to repel the corpse-grabbing team.
However, the local government did not give up. In the early morning of August 5th, a large number of police forces entered the village to suppress the villagers. Before their arrival, the government cut off the village’s electricity and communication networks. During the operation, the police fired numerous tear gas canisters, injuring and arresting a large number of villagers.
According to local netizens, there were “hundreds of vehicles and over a thousand people coming to capture” the villagers.
The villagers questioned: “Since ancient times, the Chinese people have believed in burial for peace, and the common people only want the deceased to rest in peace without disturbance. Why does our ‘good government’ mobilize thousands of armed police, cut off power and communication, use tear gas, injure people, and arrest people, causing harm to many innocent villagers? Why do they insist on exhumation and cremation when our village does not have a public cemetery? Where is the meaning in cremation?” “Shouldn’t your weapons be used to defend the homeland? Why use them against ordinary people?”
The incident has sparked widespread attention overseas. Netizens have expressed their views, with many stating: “Under the Communist Party rule, the people’s lives are difficult. The only way out for the Chinese people is to overthrow this dictatorship.” “The people are the masters of the country, and the public security relies on taxpayers for support. Is this how they serve the people?” “Brave people of Anshun!” “Waiting for a change of regime!”