Although not widely reported in the Western media, the “Sparrow Initiative” against the forced eviction policies of the Chinese government, highlight the absence of the rule of law in China.
New York University professor and China expert, Jerome Cohen, has on more than one occasion described China as a nation of laws without the rule of law. No phenomenon illustrates this situation better than the practice of forced evictions. It is a common practice of the Chinese government to evict citizens from their homes and demolish the dwellings to clear land for projects conceived by a municipal or national government body. For example, an estimated 300,000 citizens of Beijing were the victims of forced evictions to clear space for the 2008 Summer Olympics. These citizens were given virtually no compensation and no provision for petitioning the government. This action went largely unreported in the Western media as it focused on the Olympic pageantry. One illustrative story, however, was widely reported. That is the story of two grandmothers who were sentenced to reeducation camp when they publicly protested their eviction.
Often forced evictions are executed through the collaboration of corrupt local officials and businessman. Thousands of such events happen every year in China where land developers bribe officials to look the other way as land is taken from peasants for development at huge profits. When the peasants protest they are usually physically intimated or thrown in jail.
The recent opening of the Shanghai Expo, billed as the worlds largest trade exhibition, on May 1, has brought new attention to this practice. Under the moniker of the “Sparrow Initiative” a brave young mother from Shanghai, named Hu Yan and a naturalized U.S. citizen, Yang Haihan, have joined together to protest the forced eviction policies of the Chinese government. Since May 8, both these individuals have staged daily vigils outside of the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Ms. Yan has written a letter describing her situation to the UN Secretary General and has travelled to New York to protest her eviction from her home and the destruction of her house to make way for the Expo. As reported in the April 30 New York Times lead article, Yan is one of more than 18000 families who were “moved” to make way for the Expo. Interestingly, the Times article made no mention of the fact that “moving” these families involved forcible eviction without due process or compensation. Click here to read Hu Yans letter to the UN Secretary General.
Yan has been joined in her daily vigils by Yang Haihan has joined Yan in her daily vigils outside the United Nations. He has written a letter to his Congressman, Adam Schiff of California to enlist his aid in his fight against the expropriation of his family business and the imprisonment of his mother. Click here to read Mr. Yang’s letter to Congressman Schiff.
Director of Initiatives for China Letters to Congressman
Expo Offers Shanghai a Turn in the Spotlight – The New York TImes