HONG KONG—On Dec. 9, the Coalition for People Wronged in China was founded in Hong Kong. Thirty-eight petitioners from Shanghai celebrated the occasion in front of the headquarters of the Hong Kong Police.
More than one-quarter of the thirty-eight petitioners declared their withdrawal from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organizations. All used their real names. Some withdrew their family members from the CCP as well. One petitioner said that the injustices they had suffered were brought on by the CCP, so quitting the CCP was the right decision.
The petitioners from Shanghai, who had overcome many obstacles to reach Hong Kong, lined up on Dec. 9 to be interviewed by The Epoch Times. Shen Yongmei, a petitioner from Luwan District of Shanghai and a first time visitor to Hong Kong, said that in 2003 Hong Kong businessman Vincent Lo had conspired with the Shanghai authorities. The house she had called home was bulldozed without her consent. She had appealed to the higher authorities at least sixty times to block the demolition, but was put under administrative detention three times and even beaten during detention. Hence, she decided to quit the Communist Young Pioneers (CYP) using her real name.
“I cannot finish describing the persecution I have suffered in three days and nights,” Shen said, “I was illegally detained many times in the darkest prison in the Luwan District. I was beaten, cursed, tortured, and deprived of food and sleep. The longest time period I was detained for was forty-five days. I now declare to the world that I quit from the CCP.”
Zhang Yin, a petitioner from the New Pudong Area of Shanghai, came to Hong Kong for a second time. She declared her withdrawal from the CCP using her real name. She used to live in a house in Pudong. Zhang wept out, “After appealing many times in vain, in 2005 my younger brother was seriously wounded by the demolition crews. I tried to reason with them, but they knocked me to the ground. As I had nowhere to seek justice, I poured gasoline on my body and attempted to set myself on fire, but nobody took notice of me.”
“I feel that the CCP’s laws do not protect the people. They are useless,” said Zhang. “Up to now no one has given me justice. The court is supposed to be the last line of defense to uphold justice, but now even this last line has disappeared. Then what is the value of the Constitution and the law? I formally declare I quit from the CCP.”
Wu Dangying, another petitioner from the New Pudong Area, who also had come to Hong Kong for a second time, sighed with emotion knowing that in Hong Kong there is freedom of speech. She had decided to declare on the eve of Human Rights Day, “My rights cannot be guaranteed. For example, I had to overcome many difficulties to come to Hong Kong this time. They put me under house arrest. I solemnly declare here that I quit the Communist Young Pioneer (CYP).”
Some petitioners helped their relatives to withdraw from the CCP. Chen Xiuqin and her husband Ai Furong are from Xuhui District of Shanghai. Their house was forcefully demolished in 2001. They appealed for many years and were repeatedly detained by the police. Chen decided to quit the Communist Youth League (CYL) for herself and for her husband. “He joined the CYL, and was lied to by the CCP. Because I have suffered from forceful relocation among many other wrongs, we have been able to clearly see the evil nature of these organizations. We withdraw from them and hope that others will quit as well.”
Hong Kong resident Shen Ting, the founder of the coalition and a representative for the relocation households in the Dongbakuai area of Shanghai said, “We are faced with corruption between officials and business people, our livelihoods being taken away, and our houses being taken by illegal force. The CCP has not resolved our issues with law at all.”
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