Man who lived in tree goes on trial
By Jane Chen |
June 29, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A FARMER in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has gone on trial after living in a tree for three months in protest at the local government's relocation of his home.
Chen Maoguo, from Fengjie County, was charged with encouraging the public to disrupt traffic, yesterday's Nanfang Metropolis Daily reported. Chen pleaded not guilty.
Fengjie County People's Court heard that Chen's house, covering more than 1,200 square meters, was demolished in December 2008 to make room for a state expressway.
He was offered compensation of 390,000 yuan (US$57,400) by the local government but he demanded more.
After talks broke down, Chen built a small hut above a tree in his courtyard on August 3, 2009, and lived there for more than three months in protest. He hoisted up all his daily necessities by ropes.
Chen's story was published online and he became popularly known as "birdman."
On November 18, he moved down from the tree hut after the local government agreed to raise compensation to 800,000 yuan.
But later that day, police arrested him and accused him of encouraging the public to disturb the social order.
The 800,000-yuan compensation has been frozen, his wife, Shen Zhenglan, told the newspaper.
Shen said the detention was a shock as the government had promised not to punish Chen after he moved out of the tree hut.
The newspaper cited a report by the county's publicity department saying that Chen had used loudspeakers in the tree hut to urge villagers to protest against the relocation and interrupt work at the expressway construction sites.
Prosecutors said Chen had encouraged villagers to block construction trucks on September 17 and October 25, "seriously disordering the traffic."
But Chen argued in court that he simply talked about his own home, and villagers disrupted the traffic out of their own dissatisfaction with the relocation scheme, which had affected more than 200 families.
Chen was first charged with an offence against social order on May 21 but this was changed to the current charge.
Chen Maoguo, from Fengjie County, was charged with encouraging the public to disrupt traffic, yesterday's Nanfang Metropolis Daily reported. Chen pleaded not guilty.
Fengjie County People's Court heard that Chen's house, covering more than 1,200 square meters, was demolished in December 2008 to make room for a state expressway.
He was offered compensation of 390,000 yuan (US$57,400) by the local government but he demanded more.
After talks broke down, Chen built a small hut above a tree in his courtyard on August 3, 2009, and lived there for more than three months in protest. He hoisted up all his daily necessities by ropes.
Chen's story was published online and he became popularly known as "birdman."
On November 18, he moved down from the tree hut after the local government agreed to raise compensation to 800,000 yuan.
But later that day, police arrested him and accused him of encouraging the public to disturb the social order.
The 800,000-yuan compensation has been frozen, his wife, Shen Zhenglan, told the newspaper.
Shen said the detention was a shock as the government had promised not to punish Chen after he moved out of the tree hut.
The newspaper cited a report by the county's publicity department saying that Chen had used loudspeakers in the tree hut to urge villagers to protest against the relocation and interrupt work at the expressway construction sites.
Prosecutors said Chen had encouraged villagers to block construction trucks on September 17 and October 25, "seriously disordering the traffic."
But Chen argued in court that he simply talked about his own home, and villagers disrupted the traffic out of their own dissatisfaction with the relocation scheme, which had affected more than 200 families.
Chen was first charged with an offence against social order on May 21 but this was changed to the current charge.
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