A villager in Sichuan was detained for sending a ＂inaction＂ banner？ Police： involved in illegal demonstrations

The detention notice issued by the police showed that Feng Yongjun was criminally detained on suspicion of illegal procession and demonstration. Photo courtesy of family members

Feng Yongjun, a native of Baiqing Town, Santai County, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, was exposed to criminal detention for sending a banner of "inaction" to the party committee government of Baiqing Town and Santai County Environmental Protection Bureau.

Feng Yongjun’s wife Xie Huabai told The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) on August 19th that Feng Yongjun was suspected of illegal procession and demonstration. Villagers in Baihe, Xie Hua, who sent the pennant with Feng Yongjun on the same day said that there were nine people who sent the pennant, and they were arrested by the police "just after they arrived in the county with the pennant". Feng Yongjun was detained in criminal detention, and all the other eight villagers were released home.

The staff of the Propaganda Studio of Santai County Public Security Bureau told The Paper on the 19th, "Our public security organs believe that his number, scale and other behaviors are demonstrations. This kind of behavior has not been applied for, which violates the laws on demonstrations and related regulations."

Feng Yongjun (first from the right in the front row) once sent a banner to praise government departments.

"I like to fight against injustice and manage much more."

Feng Yongjun, 43, is a villager in group 2 of Huanglong Village, Baiqing Town, Santai County. Villager Feng Jichang said that Feng Yongjun "has a strong sense of justice and likes to fight injustice". He said, "What’s wrong in our village at ordinary times, he also manages more.".

On August 10th, Feng Yongjun was arrested by Tongchuan Police Station of Santai County Public Security Bureau, along with eight villagers in Huanglong Village, including Feng Fuchang and Feng Guangnan. According to Feng Fuchang, the police arrested them because they wanted to send a banner of "inaction" to the Environmental Protection Bureau of Santai County and the Party Committee and Government of Baiqing Town of Santai County to express their dissatisfaction with the pollution situation in the village.

Xie Hua Bai, the wife of Feng Yongjun, said that the pollution problem in Huanglong Village is mainly caused by the Baiqing Reservoir, which is outsourced to fish farming, because farmers often dump chicken, duck and other excrement into the reservoir, which makes the smell around the reservoir stinking, and the well water in the village has also been tested for excessive Escherichia coli.

Feng Fuchang’s wife said that her family lived near the reservoir. Besides dumping feces into the reservoir, farmers also piled up feces near her well, which made the well water unusable.

Xie Huabai, Feng Jichang and other villagers said that they had repeatedly reported the pollution situation to the town and county, and the government departments had repeatedly said that they had made rectification, but they had never implemented it. Therefore, Feng Yongjun made two banners of "inaction".

The Paper saw from the picture of the banner posted by Feng Yongjun on the Internet that the banner presented to Santai County for environmental protection read "Kicking the ball to an advanced unit, the environmental protection bureau of Santai County has made great contributions to pollution, and the villagers in Baiqing Town have no face to report it", while the banner written on the other side read "Doing nothing to deal with pollution and not serving the people" was presented to the party committee and government of Baiqing Town.

Feng Yongjun and other villagers are going to give the inaction banner to Santai County Environmental Protection Bureau and Baiqing Town Party Committee and Government.

Before the incident, I posted an online consultation: Is it illegal to send a criticism banner?

Xie Hua Bai said that Feng Yongjun sent banners to relevant departments in the county in 2007 and 2014, but the previous times were all praise, but this time it was criticism.

The Paper found that Feng Yongjun posted a message in the local forum on the evening of August 8 asking, "Is it illegal for an administrative organ to send a banner because of inaction?"

"I told him at the time that I should abide by the law and not go in groups." Feng Yongjun’s netizen "Mang Waer" told The Paper.

Xie Huabai and others said that at 9 o’clock in the morning of August 10, Feng Yongjun and others rushed to Santai County by bus or battery car from the village. When they walked near the county tourist station with a banner, nine people were arrested by the police.

Feng Fuchang told The Paper that the four people who took the pennant that day were Li Dingqiang, Wang Wenjin, Feng Xiongchang and Feng Jigui. Feng Yongjun didn’t take anything empty-handed, and the party didn’t roar or knock the gong, but only when the police arrested people.

Feng Yongjun, who was criminally detained for failing to send a banner. Photo courtesy of family members

Feng yongjunTwo lawsuits have been filed with the county government this year, and eight people except him have been released.

Xie Hua Bai said that at about 4 am on August 11th, all eight villagers except Feng Yongjun were released to go home, and their husbands were put in criminal detention and put in Santai County Detention Center.

China Judgment Document Network shows that Feng Yongjun has fought two administrative lawsuits with Santai county government this year, winning one and being rejected once. The lawsuit mainly focuses on the information disclosure of the contracting contract, contracting cost and capital flow of Baiqing Reservoir by Baiqing Town Government, as well as the specific data and detailed capital flow of water resources use fee (2008-2011).

A staff member of the Party and Government Office of Baiqing Town told The Paper on August 19, "(Feng Yongjun) was arrested by the Public Security Bureau because he went to the county to petition and then marched there illegally." Regarding "whether the town government has inaction in water pollution control", the staff member said that he is not clear. He said that Feng Yongjun is currently detained by the county public security bureau, and the details are subject to the public security bureau’s statement.

A staff member of Tongchuan Police Station of Santai County Public Security Bureau told The Paper that the situation was unclear, and the leaders were busy and not in the office.

A staff member of the Law Enforcement Brigade of Santai County Environmental Protection Bureau told The Paper that she didn’t know the pollution situation in Huanglong Village, and no one in charge of the area was there, and the head of the Law Enforcement Brigade was not in the office.

The staff of the Propaganda Studio of Santai County Public Security Bureau confirmed to The Paper that Feng Yongjun has been criminally detained according to law, and the case is still being handled. The staff member said, "Our public security organs believe that his number, scale and other behaviors are demonstrations. This kind of behavior has not been applied, which violates the law on demonstrations and related regulations."

Regarding "whether the police dissuaded Feng Yongjun and others", the person in charge said that "the case is still being processed and further investigation is needed."