CHINA—On January 16, over 10,000 joined in a protest outside the Laishide Hotel in Zhuyang town, Sichuan province. During the conflict, protestors set fire to the hotel, which burned for five hours before it was finally extinguished.
The protest was triggered by the tragic death of a 16-year-old reception girl at Laishide Hotel.
According to a hotel employee who wants to remain anonymous, Yang Daili, the reception girl, was brutally raped and beaten to death by three communist cadres. Angry local residents gathered outside, demanding that the murderers be brought to justice. Instead, the authorities mobilized large numbers of anti-riot police. Clashes occurred between the masses and the police and many were wounded. The angry protestors set fire to the hotel.
One local resident said that this was the third young girl murdered in the hotel in six months that the hotel has been open.
The hotel employee also told the journalist: “It is said that the girl’s family is now under surveillance by the authorities.”
When Epoch Times journalist called the local police station, a staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “Over 10,000 people have protested in the last two days; many police were also beaten.” The staffer also disclosed that the hotel is owned by the son of the local police chief.
According to information on the Internet, the Laishide Hotel is a new four-star hotel which opened about half a year ago.
Someone claiming to be an employee of the hotel posted the following story of the girl’s death on the Internet:
On December 29, three high-ranking communist cadres from Sichuan province came to the hotel. They asked for Yang Daili to entertain them.
Around 2:00 a.m. the next morning, the hotel’s bartender Liu Chikun found Yang in a private room. Her teeth were broken,her tongue was bitten off and her nipples were cut off. Other hotel staff sent Yang to a local hospital, but very soon after, the hospital was sealed off and the hotel claimed that Yang had died of alcohol poisoning.
According to a local resident, Yang’s relative started to protest outside the hotel on January 12 with more and more people joining in the protest everyday. The hotel had tried to resolve Yang’s death by offering a settlement of 500,000 yuan (approximately US$62,656), but this was rejected by Yang’s relatives.
On January 16, over 10,000 protestors surrounded the hotel. The authorities mobilized large numbers of anti-riot police and used water cannons to disperse the masses. Several students at the scene were beaten up. The conflict escalated and the protestors set fire to the hotel.
Right after the incident, on January 18, the authorities announced that Liu Chikun, the hotel bartender who found the victim, is suspected of committing the murder.
According to reports, protestors are still gathering outside the hotel.
