personal rights: another Chinese housing hold-out
Earlier we blogged about the “nail house” 钉子户 in Shanghai–these are the residences of urbanites whose neighborhoods have been “moved” 动迁 and who are the last hold-outs–they stick out like nails in an otherwise modernized environment. Making the rounds of Chinese portals and BBS in March, this “greatest nail house in history,” from Chongqing, which is renowned across the city.
On March 19 the China Legal Daily published what it claims is the first interview with the woman who owns the house. Her demand? To be given an apartment in the new building that is going up on the same spot, with comparable square footage to the house she now lives in. This will be impossible, says the developer. According to Chongqing law, says the article, there are three possible ways to compensate owners in this type of situation: 1) provide housing on the same spot; 2) provide housing in another spot; 3) provide a sum of money. The city is only willing to provide Ms. Wu, the resident, with the third option, but she is not willing to accept a sum of money.
Because the two parties cannot come to an agreement, they have not budged since relocation at the site started in September, 2004. although excavation of the worksite is already well underway…”On January 11, 2007, the developer brought an administrative action against Ms. Wu with the department responsible for relocation, the Chongqing Jiulongpo District Housing Management Bureau. The result was a demand for the resident being relocated to voluntarily move within 15 days and to return the house to be demolished by the developer. If the party being relocated does not agree with this ruling he or she can file a suit with the Chongqing Jiulongpo District Court within 3 months or apply for a reconsideration within 60 days from the Chongqing Jiulongpo District Government or the Chongqing Municipal Housing Bureau.
Ms. Wu’s response to the Legal Daily reporter: I simply won’t accept this mistaken ruling!
The Jiulongpo District Housing Management Bureau says it will apply for a legal ruling to institute forced relocation.
Amazing “nail house” in China
Over at the Virtual China blog, my Institute for the Future colleague Lyn Jeffery posts about this “nail house” in Chongqing. From Lyn’s post: (“Nail houses”) are the residences of urbanites whose neighborhoods have been “moved” 动迁 and who are the las…
BTW, I blogged about this a long time ago, I have also translated a full interview with the homeowner Mrs. Wuping. Very interesting read.
wow, it must be pretty hard to go shopping
Great article…bunker
You could look at it and think, “China, what a mess.” But I tend to see it the other way. It shows that, despite the usual media stereotypes, China does have an element of people power, and there are good laws there that people can use in their struggle. And indeed it is a struggle- Beijing is a long way away, and there always a lot of government and capitalist thugs to get through to win your fight. But there is people power in China, and this is a very obvious physical demonstration of that.
What came to my attention, upon hearing this information on the radio, was that the Government was resticting any further images of this area (the “Nail House”)to be published over the internet. The announcer mentioned the possibility that the media might bring this to the attention of more people than the government want it to be.
It’s impressive to know that one person can make such a deal in the media. Imagine what would happen if this issue was carried on in different communities; if the media kept this up to our attention.
I agree Hillary. Images from Iraq have done a great deal to help sour public support for the “war”. Its hard to supress these kidn of images, and a good thign to 🙂
Me parece muy bien que de una vez por todas se proteja la propiedad privada, y no ceda ante la presion de las grandes empresas ni del gobierno.
Saludos desde Argentina.
ANDRES!!!!!!
this is a dumb site
I heard that the lady in question wants an relaly silly sum of money in exchange for giving up her house. I have a feeling there is another side of this story that isnt being reported…
According to a transcript of an interview this woman has not demanded money at all, but just an equivalent sized property. The developers have consistently refused to give her a legal document with an official stamp on it, so she has been unable to rely on the unstamped document they were offering, because as she says – with no official stamp who would I go to to claim my equivalent poperty after they have demolished mine? I think the developers are used to swindling people who have no confidence to challenge them.
The situation is not that different here in Brooklyn, USA. Developers want to seize six homes that residents claim are part of the Underground Railroad of the Civil War era. The City has tried all sorts of tactics to discredit the residents.
It seems like the same story gets repeated over and over: “selfish and possibly crazy holdouts preventing progress.”
In Downtown Brooklyn, developers want to destroy homes using eminent domain to build an underground parking lot.
I have finally got around to checking this out. I am wondering how this person, with such strength and character, is presently making out.
Is she still able to live here and has her settlement given her what, even under Chinese law, is her right – the right to have a replacement property where she now is – and hopefully with the same square footage.
However, it is important to note that the issues are the same world wide, even in a city like Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Here it is the poor that get displaced out of old neighborhoods that are being “revitalized” to accommodate new developments. In many cases the poor are not property owners but merely renters and thus have even fewer rights than this person in China.
can you please tell me about chnese traditions,chinese symbol or any other chinese crap.