Sichuan Chongzhou farmer Wang Yan had her 100-mu farmland forcibly occupied by the government. Over the past twenty years, she has been imprisoned multiple times and left disabled due to being beaten while defending her rights. On October 21st of this year, she was once again detained by the police, sparking public attention.
On the morning of October 21st, Wang Yan was taken away by the public security personnel of the Chongzhou Economic Development Zone in her own land and initially placed under administrative detention, which later turned into criminal detention.
Wang Yan’s daughter told Epoch Times that the police first imposed administrative penalties on Wang Yan and then detained her for 14 days on charges of “provoking trouble,” but failed to release her after the term ended. The Development Zone Public Security Bureau then handed the case over to the Chongzhou City Criminal Investigation Brigade, extending Wang Yan’s detention by 30 days on charges of “disrupting production and operation.” Currently, she is being held at the Wenjiang detention center.
Wang Yan’s appointed lawyer went to the Criminal Investigation Brigade requesting legal procedures, but the staff on-site refused immediately. “My mother is innocent. The lawyer said the police are completely breaking the law. They extended the detention by 30 days without providing any written explanation, which is already unlawful,” said Wang Yan’s daughter.
Wang Yan, a resident of Tang’an Village, Chongyang Town, Chongzhou City, supported her elderly mother and triplet daughters by farming the land alone.
In 2004, the local government, without reaching an agreement, used machinery to forcibly level the ready-to-harvest rice fields and sold the 100-mu land to a third party for building a factory’s benefit. Wang Yan did not receive fair compensation. Wang Yan’s daughter said, “Corrupt officials mishandled it. My mother definitely wanted to protect the interests of our entire family. She didn’t sign anything and has been fighting for our rights all along.”
According to information provided by Wang Yan before, the factory produced cement products supplied to the entire economic development zone of Chongzhou City. In recent years, it has ceased production, and the factory area is abandoned and overgrown with weeds, unmanaged.
With their farmland taken over and the family income reduced to zero, the local government also cut off water and electricity to their residential land, leaving no source of livelihood for three generations of the family. “My two sisters are in poor health, and all the mental, economic, and psychological pressures are particularly high,” said Wang Yan’s daughter.
Over the past twenty years, Wang Yan has continuously petitioned in Beijing and reported local officials’ corruption to the Chongzhou City and Sichuan Province Discipline Inspection Commissions, resulting in repeated detentions and beatings. In 2003, she was violently beaten during her petition and left permanently disabled. In 2023, Wang Yan was further crippled by dark forces while advocating for her rights. “She (mom) came back in a wheelchair. Her waist and hips were injured from the beating,” said Wang Yan’s daughter.
On November 20th, the lawyer applied for bail pending trial at the Chongzhou Criminal Investigation Brigade, but the response was “no change in mandatory measures” without giving any reason.
“I don’t know how they plan to harm my mother,” Wang Yan’s daughter appealed for public attention to her mother’s safety and urged the Chongzhou police to unconditionally release her.
Detention certificate. (Provided by the family)