"Dedicated to those in pursuit of their beliefs" "INA, ARTE and 3 SHADOWS present" "A FILM BY ZHAO LIANG" "PRODUCED BY SYLVIE BLUM" "Can I get to Petition Village from here?" "Petition Village." "Been torn down." "They all come here, looking for Petition Village." "These ruins are what's left of it." " So this is the Village?" " Yes, this is it." "Your first time?" "No, I've been here before." "Last time, it was quite different." "This is Petition Village." "PETITION" "Scattered near the Petition Offices, around Beijing South Railway Station, live "the petitioners"." "They come from all over China after having exhausted their local appeals waiting for months or even years to obtain justice." "I have been filming them since 1996." "In 1995, 70% of our farmers supplied their grain to the State, as the law requires." "The State must purchase the grain." "Despite the regulations, the grain depot didn't pay us." "They gave us IOUs instead." "30% of our farmers ignored the law." "The local government took our money and bought grain from the 30% who disobeyed." "We didn't get a penny." "The local officials ignored us." "We negotiated with them for a year." "In 1996, we refused to turn in our harvest, not having been paid." "Why should we obey, when nobody else did?" "We waited for an official, but in 2 years, no one from the county ever came." "Until January 15, 1998." "The county committee sent the police and they arrested us all - 31 of us." "The arrest was inhuman." "They pretended to want to negotiate, calling a meeting." "When we got to the place, police surrounded us and arrested us all." "At the county offices, they beat us." "Our unit stopped employing us." "I was working one day, and the next, they wouldn't let me in at the gate." "I was told I was fired, but was never given written notice." "I couldn't afford to lose the job." "I was 46, I was old." "I requested some written proof of my layoff, and severance pay, but I got nothing." "No written notice and no money." "I've petitioned in Shenyang, to city and provincial officials." "All failed, so I've come to Beijing." "With no information or negotiation, no agreement on the issue, my 200-square-meter home was demolished." "That was in 1997." "The public announcement they made in 1995 was a fraud." "My relocation was dated March 15, 1997, but my rights have been violated since 1995." "And now, after the relocation, I have nothing left." "They tore down my house." "It has been nine years now." "They made me lose everything." "My husband is innocent." "We claimed that, but the court rejected our evidence." "It heard a witness who was not even at the crime scene." "The Supreme Court investigated the veracity of this testimony, withdrew the sentence, and ordered the case retried in Xinjiang." "But the local court persisted in their mistake." "My husband had a 9-year sentence." "He had already been jailed for 8 and a half years, so they released him, but there was no acquittal." "My husband Ding Yimin is innocent." "My son was in an Air Force unit." "On June 18, 2001, he requested a 3-day funeral leave." "But he didn't bribe the officer, and was punished." "He lodged a complaint with the commissioner, so the officer shackled him and locked him up naked for 16 days." "The first 3 days my son was jailed, he was denied water and food." "He was beaten savagely." "He is now disabled for life, with a wounded kidney and mental illness." "The Air Force discharged him, but refuses to compensate us for his disability." "Don't mention the right of the living." "So many people beat up one person." "He tried to run home, but they chased him and beat him." "What is this behavior?" "They kept beating him unnecessarily." "What kind of behavior is this?" "They chased him to the hospital and beat him." "Is that "self-defense"?" "The judgment is a lie." "The court copied every word of the murderer's statement." "When the local court held the hearing, they made a complete record of the murderer's false testimony." "Our statements were nowhere to be found, and the Provincial Committee refused to listen to us." "Kneel down." "Kneel for the picture." "It's not fair!" "It's not fair!" "It's not fair!" "Darkness in China!" "Corruption in China!" "Bring down corruption!" "Give back my human rights." "Petition Office" "Your Leadership, while you are supervising the court, would you please look at my case?" "You, too, have parents." "We have children, like you." "Raising three children alone is a huge burden on me." "My husband died and my 3 children were wounded." "I must look after them myself:" "three kids, two of them disabled." "Look at the photos." "Why is this problem still unsolved?" "Why throw us in the detention center whenever we bring up the issue?" "I'm the only healthy adult." "Look what you have done to me." "It can't be solved here." "Go to the Supreme Court." "What do I have to do there?" "Just shut up, you hear?" "What?" "Can you give me a reply or not?" "(In Petition Offices, cameras are strictly forbidden)" "Qi's husband died during a medical checkup at work." "Officials quickly cremated the body." "Since then, Qi and her daughter Juan have been petitioning in Beijing, demanding the local government be punished." "I met Qi for the first time in 1996." "Juan was 12 years old." "Where did you get the food?" "It's theirs." "They picked it up off the ground." "It's too unsanitary to feed it to kids." "We go to the vegetable market and gather greens to cook for my child." "As my only one, she's precious." "Beijing South Railway Station" "Take her to the station!" "Hurry, or she will die of cold!" "Go inside the train station." " I got nothing." " What?" "No forms." "Give me the forms!" " Did you hand this to him?" " I did." "You have to give him this." "Chief in command..." "Get out!" "Get her out of here!" "Give back my papers!" "Enough!" "Get out!" "Straighten up!" "Walk!" "Be off!" "Your case does not involve law." "Go, now." "Justice and parental officials, help correct this omission." "The court did not transfer my case, so I came here for help." "I look up to you as parental officials." "My son, an ardent Communist, was transferred to civilian work." " Out!" " Driving me off, again!" "My son was 23 when he got killed." " Nobody cared about us." " Quit blabbing." " Please look at my case." " Get out!" "I'm telling the facts." "Why not just shoot me?" " What are you doing?" " Out!" "Get out!" "Look at my case." "Give an answer." "It's been 19 years." "You have to shoot me first." "Why not just execute me?" "I can walk by myself." "Sir?" "Sir?" "May I ask if you've seen a woman with a young girl?" "She was here earlier." " Where?" " She left already." "Where are they sleeping?" "Juan, get up." "Hello." "Where is your mother?" "She went out." "She's out." "We were taken to a detention center." "On December 2." " A detention center?" " Yes, we were detained." "Then what happened?" "We were sent to a detention center in Changping, and then another detention center in Xuzhou for 23 days." "We were then remanded to the cadre in our town." "At home, no questions were asked." "They haven't spoken." "We waited for over 50 days." "We got there at night, and were locked up the next morning." "We were also detained in Nanjing for 9 days." "There, four or five people shoved me into a car." "I asked, "What is my crime?"" "My daughter is grown up, but I can't enroll her in school." " Do you want her to go to school?" " Of course." "If you weren't suing the officials, would she go to school at home?" "I would stop petitioning if my case was resolved legally." "I simply ask that they enforce the law." "When we reach a legal settlement, I'll withdraw my petition." "What are your plans for the future?" "I plan to move here with my child." "Come and get the noodles!" "Come over here." "Thank you." "Thanks." "Mr. Zhang" "I was arrested in 1998." "After I was released from prison, the division chief approached me:" ""Let's talk about your own problem." ""Forget about the other 30 people."" "I claimed all 31 of us were victims." "I couldn't ignore their rights." "I refused to bargain with him." "I refused the police." "That's when they started ruining my life." "First it was my tractor." "I'm a farmer, you see." "A tractor is a farmer's most essential implement." "But I didn't give in." "I kept on suing them." "Then, with vicious intent, they took away my land, sold all the young crops, and drove me out of my hometown." "My family fell apart, and I'm homeless." "They caused me so much loss!" "They knew they'd be punished, and forced to pay me compensation." "They didn't want me to petition, yet they didn't want to settle out of court." "They dodged their legal responsibilities." "I can't agree on that." "Every single problem I report is backed up by solid evidence." "I'm not exaggerating." "I've finished eating." "Let's go." " Have you washed your face?" " Yes." "Cover the pot with the lid." "The central government can gauge the conduct of the local governments from the number of petitioners." "Many local government agents, called "retrievers" (jiefang), are then present at the Petition Offices in Beijing to intercept the petitioners." "Get out of the way!" "Where are you two from?" "Speak up." "Hurry." "Let go of me!" "Let go!" "Where are you from?" " If you do, we'll hurt you back." " Be my guest." " Whatever." " Interesting." "Cut the crap." "We'll see who gets hurt." "Our city has millions of people;" "we don't care if one disappears." "Then don't take me back home." " You'll end up in the river." " I don't care." "Any good or bad news recently?" "There's lots of news." "Can you tell me?" "It's useless to speak of it." "I don't want to remember those things." "I've been driven away the last few times." "We were herded out last night and this morning." "It's been happening frequently." "I was with my husband at his physical, but they told me I was absent from the scene." "First, they cremated him, and then accused me of letting him die at home." "Why should the work unit blame me for his death?" "They accused me of killing my husband, so I petitioned." "Later, they said that he had died of natural causes." "So I asked them: what ailment?" "I presented the case, and now the local government is avoiding it." "Arriving at the clinic, he was well!" "When I first arrived, they told me to stop following my mother and go back to school." "Did you tell them of your situation?" "Could you go to school at home?" "He said my mother should be sent to a psychiatric hospital." "I contradicted him." "He was about to hit her." "So I shut up, because he was going to beat me, too." "I didn't dare make a sound." "I'm going to the Petition Office." "If my father were alive and my parents still together," "I would not be stuck here." "I don't want my mother to feel lonely, so I keep her company." "What a dummy." "You're right." "How stupid." "What if you're dissatisfied with the verdict?" "I'll deal with that then." "It depends." "Mom!" "I said, "Let me bring my child tomorrow." ""Will we be detained?" ""If so, I'll bring more papers."" "They replied, "Of course not." ""We'll contact your local officials, and you can take the train home."" "Nonsense." "The official at the office is trying to fool us." "They want to detain me." "They've been stalling us for years with this re-registration slip." "My child hasn't been able to go to school." "These have rotted." "What's the slip for?" "To see an official." " Have you discussed your case?" " Not much." "They refuse to talk, even if you have a slip." "Before, he'd write down a name and stamp it." "See?" "There was a name and address." "Now it's been simplified to just a stamp on the back." "I have a whole pile of them." "The official would record the number of times a petitioner has been heard." "But we've never talked." "My brother and I were out to get some hay, and we caught a snake." "We were passing the prison." "In front of the gate, two guards ran out to us, all of a sudden." "They grabbed me, and frisked me." "They found nothing but the snake in my hand." "I asked why they were searching me." "I told them life was difficult for me." "That made them furious." "They opened the prison gates and brought out 8 prisoners." "Two guards got hold of me;" "another opened the gate and called 8 prisoners to beat me." "They took me to the hospital." "I was treated and told I was fine." "They left me at the hospital." "After two months there, my muscles began to shrink." "The muscle atrophy was serious, but they did nothing about it." "They refused to transfer me to another hospital, or to discharge me." "I was stuck there with no medicine, totally stuck at that hospital." "They said it was not a big deal." "The retrievers beat me." "Look at the wound on my father's head." "Fortunately, he wasn't killed." "I was bleeding like hell." "You can still see the scar there." "We got to the hospital in time." "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here now." "They tied my brother up in a car, and handcuffed him." "He was tied to the seat, with his mouth taped." "They rented the car and drove us back to Fujian." "Two cars: my brother and I in one..." "They were in the other car." "In Fujian, we were locked up." "My cousin, who was at home, got locked up for 3 years." "My brother was in good shape then." "He could carry me for miles." "But they caged him and beat him." "Now he's handicapped." "They broke his legs." "Let Dad eat by himself." "I'm giving you a massage." "You ate too much." "Where is that train coming from?" "I want to go home on that train." "Harder." "Do you know where to get off the train?" "What's up?" "I'm looking for a spot to sleep." " Are you also a petitioner?" " Yes." "Are you looking for a hotel?" "The Petition Hotel is 3 yuan a night." "I have blankets." "Then you can sleep under that house." "It's good if you don't have a tent." "I want to find someplace dry, with no dew." "Away from the damp." "In my hometown, they jailed all the petitioners so they couldn't go to Beijing." "We can't petition anymore." "Where will you sleep?" "I don't know yet." "There's some space under the footbridge." "The retrievers might look there." "They locked me up for months." "I escaped here." "If they catch me again, I'll never get away." "They'll lock me up forever, and leave my problem unsolved." "Do you understand?" "I can't let them catch me again." "They're thugs." "They'll beat you to death." "Our county was supposed to grant tenure to 5,467 teachers." "But the county government sold the quota." "The teachers who bribed them got promoted." "I can't afford that, so I can't become a tenured professor, and I can't quit either." "They just left me there." "They know I came to petition, so they forged some documents." "I went to court, but the ruling was unfair." "What can I do?" " You are a teacher?" " Yes." "What can I do?" "The local court used outdated laws, and announced" "that I had lost my case." "For the second trial, they changed my claim." "What can I say?" "That board isn't mine." "I'll return it tomorrow." "Don't break it." "I'll put it on the ground." "It might break if the ground is bumpy." "Find somewhere flat." "Be careful not to break it." "I'll take one of these to keep me warm." "Don't let anyone see the camera." "Especially at the Petition Office." "Hide it quickly." "You must hide it." "How did your hearing go?" "I agreed to return home, and she didn't." "Your mother refused?" "If we don't go back, there will be more hardship." "Will your mom leave tomorrow?" "I don't know." "She'll have to leave." "They asked you whether you would agree?" "She nodded, and so did I." "Why does she blame you?" "She's like that." "This happens often." "She scolds me and blames me for everything." "There's nothing I can do about her." "They wanted me to write an agreement." "To trade it for a fair verdict." " Did you write it?" " Me?" "No." "Then why are you upset?" "They wouldn't give us a verdict." "So why are you upset?" "Because I'll be going back for nothing." "I'll have to return." "Must you go back home?" "The tickets are bought." "Don't take the ticket, and stay." "You could stay and petition." "I'll lose my credibility." "I accepted the ticket yesterday." "I can't keep changing my mind." "I'd look insane." "How would they react?" "They'd ask why I keep changing my mind." "If you'd made your point there, you wouldn't be upset." "Petition Village Inn" "What do you want?" "Noodles for my meal." "Once my rice is ready, you can cook your noodles." "It's old, stale rice." "I'd rather have rice." "Whatever - but you have to wait." "How long must I wait?" "Until the rice is ready." "I don't like overcooked rice." "Li was in line before you." "You're still plump." "Stop arguing." "I was here first." "Who beat you?" "The retrievers." "Where did it happen?" "I was arrested for protesting, and the retrievers beat me in a car." "I got off, and called the police." "The police from Xiaohongmen picked me up." "I asked for medical treatment, but the retrievers found me." "They said they'd take me to the hospital the next day." "I told them I'd go by myself, and left." "She prays daily to the Bodhisattva." "He protects me." "And for justice in her case." "Without the Bodhisattva, I'd have been dead long ago." "I was taking the medication that made my face swell up." "She entrusts her life to the Bodhisattvas." "I pray daily for my family." "They let me out of the psychiatric hospital and I went home." "I had a brief visit with my father, and quickly returned to Beijing." "I was afraid local officials would keep me at home." "Was your house all right?" "We didn't go there." "It was too dangerous for us." "They threatened to send me to the crematorium." "How dare I go home?" "In the past, it was safe enough." "When the Petition Office closes early," "I can sell a few maps." "I'm too busy petitioning during the day." "I'd have to get up very early." "Petitioning is like going to work." "Right." "It's a daily search for justice." "Every day." "Have you ever stopped?" "Never, in years." "You seem more excited than a worker." "I have no other choice." "I've suffered enormously." "I still have some medication for mental illness left." "Three bottles." "Who prescribed it?" "The psychiatric hospital, for my release." "I had to take many kinds." "They made it hard for me to speak." "When I came out of the hospital, my face was so swollen I couldn't see." "If I'd taken a photograph of myself, I could use it as evidence now." "She's not always obedient." "She wouldn't lend me her eyes!" "I wanted to take a photo, to show them." "I've been petitioning for years, and I was never so swollen!" "Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!" "With our very flesh and blood Let us build our new Great Wall" "The peoples of China" "Are in the most critical time" "Everybody must roar his defiance!" "Arise!" "Arise!" "Millions of hearts with one mind Brave Communist Party corruption" "March on!" "March on!" "Build up the righteous politic and law" "Granny Pan" "I've changed two lines:" ""Brave the enemy's gunfire" became" ""Brave Communist Party corruption."" "I added "Build up the righteous politic and law."" "Dishes of sweet rice cakes and bowls of hot rice wine are on the table now." "From his family's New Year's supper, Premier Hu Jintao said," ""I'm happy to see your lives are getting better."" "Where are you going?" "To Tiananmen Square, to petition." "Really!" ""Unafraid of dangers or of sacrifice," ""Step into the breach when your brother falls," ""Contribute to the victory of the Chinese Revolution."" "The whole nation is celebrating the annual New Year's Gala!" "How nice to see you again!" "The sun comes out" "When you open the gate of happiness" "The crops are harvested, when you open the gate of happiness" "The world thrives when I open the gate of happiness" "The dragon and phoenix dance" "When all families open the gate of happiness" "The hearts are full of blessing" "When people open the gate of happiness" "Qi's father died when she was still detained in a psychiatric hospital." "Finally, she was released and could return for the funeral in her hometown, where her family had been awaiting her." "The corpse has had time to decompose." "It stinks!" "When Qi and her daughter were away, it was pitiful!" "It was heart-wrenching for us to see." "The cadres of our village refused to solve their problems." "If someone came from Beijing, those cadres would be arrested!" "How pitiful!" "Qi has endured endless suffering." "Petitioners consider the annual National People's Congress a prime opportunity to solve petition issues." "Large numbers of petitioners as well as retrievers flock to Beijing for it." "Hey, girl!" "Move your feet!" "Put them somewhere else!" "We had to turn away 30 people, looking for a place to stay." "Just one night!" "Please!" "The two of us can sit up through the night." "Sorry, there's only room for one." "Only you." "Please, she's my companion." "There's only room for one." "We have nowhere to go, and it's getting dark." "Stay at the Railway Station." "No, it's too far." "Don't go petition." "All the petitioners are waiting here for the event." "We'll leave when it ends." "The Congress begins on March 3, that's when the crowds will converge on Petition Offices." " Who hasn't paid yet?" " Pay time." "A spring breeze bearing the trust of the people blows over the Congress Hall today, as it hosts the 2,000 members of the CPPCC National Committee." "The 11th Five-Year Plan is a year old." "Reform and development issues will be discussed, as a magnificent new chapter is written." "At 3 PM, the 4th meeting of the 10th CPPCC National Committee officially opened at People's Congress Hall." "Pick that up!" "Pick it up!" "Unfair!" "Unfair!" "Turn off your camera." "Wen Huazhi, the petitioners support you!" "The whole nation supports you!" "Justice for all petitioners!" "It's worth dying for!" "For all petitioners, all over the country!" "State your claims!" "Abolish the local-management rule!" "Let the people elect the members of the People's Congress!" "He was a Village Committee secretary." "Because he reported local schools were charging arbitrary fees, they sent him to prison seven times." "For not being corrupt." "If he was rotten, he wouldn't be like this today." "He and four other people drafted the report." "Corruption is a serious problem." "Congress meets every year." "What the hell do they do?" "We were all together for petition." "Sister..." "Poor old sister." "Get up!" "Hurry!" "Are these her clothes?" "Pick them up." "One shoe." "Where's the other?" "Sun Sannü's shoe." "Get everything." "This is her jawbone." "It's hers." "It's all evidence." "We must gather it for her sake." "There's more." "A piece of her skull." "I'll get it." "We have nowhere to run when they chase us." "She was just trying to have a life here." "Damn them." "A piece of skull..." "Her other shoe." "I found her ID." " The man's or the woman's?" " Both." "Okay, this settles it." "Oh, my Lord!" "The train dragged her so far!" "They'd spent 18 years on the case?" "Yes, 18 years of their lives." " Both are dead?" " Both." "We're following the rules, but the retrievers come here and chase us." "That's illegal, right?" "This is a Socialist country." "We want human rights and safety." "We're here for a discussion." "My ability is limited." "Can I keep organizing this action?" "It depends on the opinions of everyone here." "We need to discuss the next step." "In my opinion, at least, we should mourn the old woman." "She had such a tragic life." "I bought some white cloth with the donation funds." "We should mourn her properly." "Show her some respect." "This is from the bottom of my heart." "We are not radicals or criminals." "We can use this white cloth to drape ourselves, to show our feelings about her death." "She was our friend." "We went through a lot, as petitioners." "This is my view." "We agree!" "We have to wake up." "It's time to find a way to show the government that the petition system is a lie." "We're human beings." "We can't stand to be fooled anymore." "If democratic policies are not implemented, we can't even live!" "Petition is empty talk." "Petition Offices are useless." "You can't understand without a degree in law." "We are being bullied, beaten, arrested, and locked up." "They even put us in mental hospitals and re-education centers." "They want to transform us according to whatever they say." "No legal procedures." "A country with no law." "The People's Congress does not represent the people, but bureaucracy." "They're more like Mafia or Fascists." "Fascism, in China!" "Power over laws." "Nowhere to sue them." ""Fellow Chinese, especially fellow petitioners," ""the Communist Party of China" ""has tricked us with beautiful lies," ""such as to serve the people loyally," ""tricked the people of China and the world," ""persisting in its despotic and corrupt dictatorship," ""slaughtering for power inside the ruling class," ""like Liu Shaoqi and Peng Duhuai and other former top leaders" ""killed by the Great Dictator Mao." ""This proves that under the Communist Party dictatorship," ""the killing will not stop in the future." ""The ruling class treats people with even more brutality," ""and causes families to fall apart." ""Under great pressure, people petition for years." ""They are often in poor health." ""They die of disease, starvation, and the cold." ""Some are physically damaged" ""or even killed by the retrievers." ""Still, the office rules unjustly on their cases." ""Most of the political-legal agencies and petition bureaus" ""are bullying people in outrageous ways." ""Fellow petitioners, petition is a dead end." ""Give up any hope it will solve your case." ""The petitioner from Inner Mongolia," ""trying to escape retrievers, was crushed by a train." ""Two died and two were wounded." ""It was a tragedy." ""Wake up and arise!" ""Stop petitioning, fellow petitioners!" ""Abolish one-party dictatorship!" "Institute democracy." ""This is the only way out," ""for petitioners and for our nation." ""Wake up and arise!" "Let the whole nation unite!" ""Fight for democracy, not one-party dictatorship!" ""Stamp out corruption!" "Save the country." ""Build a new democratic China to benefit the people." ""March on!" "March on!"" "It's a good article, but will people support us?" "Does it matter?" "We're already desperate." "We'll die sooner or later." "People already know petition is a dead end with no hope." "Before the mourning ceremony started," "Xiao Yuan was secretly arrested by the police." "Remember the petitioner from Inner Mongolia!" "Petitioning is not a crime!" "The State must respect the law!" "The parade lasted 20 minutes before its voluntary dissolution." "Mr. Liu was arrested immediately after it." "Who can I blame for my life?" "No one but my irresponsible parents led me into today's circumstances." "It's sad to think about it, sometimes." "Most kids my age go to school." "Others stay at home." "No one leads a life like mine." "I started to make plans last week." "I told him to wait for me on the platform at noon on Monday, and we'll board the train together." "He already has the tickets, and we'll go from there." "I'll leave a letter to my mom." "I wrote:" ""For the sake of my happiness," ""my only choice is to leave." ""We will eventually have to separate anyway." ""Sending me home would separate us." ""I would rather live on my own." ""I will find a job and support myself." ""I don't want to go home." "I know what I'd face there." ""I know very well." "I'll support myself by working." ""Once you've thought things through, I'll return." ""Whenever you need me, I'll come back."" "My mother raised me with hardship." "It's unbearable for me to leave, yet she has forced me to." "I can't imagine how she'll feel after I leave." "She'll be sad." "Even now, I don't want to leave." "Comfort my mom for me." "Help her understand." " Bye." " Bye, Juan." " Good luck." " Thank you." "It's too hot." "I'll turn the fan on." "There's a fan!" "Have you seen Juan?" "She's so busy lately." "Juan left you this letter." "I saw her today." "I won't lie: she said she'd be away for a few days, to clear her mind." " She left?" " That's right." "For a few days, to clear her mind." "She asked me to calm you down." "Leave me alone." "Now she's gone!" "She took the train." "Where did she go?" "I don't know where she was headed." "Oh, no." "Stop filming me." "Don't follow me." "Stop following me!" "I'll call the police." "Leave me alone!" "Don't you want to read the letter she left?" " No, I don't." " She asked me to talk to you." "She would like you to see things from her perspective." "You want me to suffer." "You make me suffer." "Not everyone wants to lie to you." "We are here to petition, and she's my whole life." "It's not that she doesn't want to be with you." " I haven't mistreated her." " What are you doing?" "One month after the train accident, Mr. Liu and Xiao Yuan are finally released from prison, where they were severely beaten." "Three people were arrested:" "Qi Muge, Xiao Yuan, and myself." "What happened was they wanted to charge me with demonstrating." "I asked them what demonstration?" "What makes it a demonstration?" ""The white banners," he said." "I replied, "They are for the memorial service." ""That's the custom in Inner Mongolia." ""She was like my sister." "I mourn her." ""How can you stop me?"" ""Why do you mourn like that?" "How should I mourn?" "By screaming?" ""Rich people like you can buy a wreath," ""or broadcast the death on TV." "I'm poor, so I buy white banners." ""Did I disturb the public order?" "Block doorways or streets?" ""Which road or door have I blocked?" ""Have I blocked traffic?" ""Let's be reasonable," I said." ""If police are unreasonable, how can citizens live their lives?"" "Then I said, "I won't wait."" "As I was leaving, four or five of them took me to the basement." "In the basement, I saw Xiao Yuan." "He was there, guarded by two policemen." "Our 5,000 years of history are a cycle of tyranny and corruption." "A new autocrat takes power, and slowly yields to corruption." "An extreme is reached." "The tyrant is toppled by a mass uprising." "Another government replaces it, and the cycle goes on." "Communism follows the same pattern." "The problem is dictatorship." "Unless we institute a democracy, nothing will change." "The vicious cycle will never end." "If we were to implement fundamental changes, like the revolutions in the past, the way the Republicans uprooted the Qing dynasty, many Communists would be sacrificed." "It would be terrible for the Party." "As a Chinese, I would not want to witness the persecution of my own people." "Reform would be great." "The alternative to reform is revolution." "What made you come here?" "I came to petition, because my law firm's license had been revoked." "I hoped for a solution." "But I've made little progress." "How many Chinese are living standing straight and tall?" "Most are on their knees." "How many live standing up?" "Most are bent." "Especially among the "scholars" and elites in Beijing, or the media people." "Most are filthy and foolish." "Their kneeling is unlike ours." "They kneel down naked." "They are unlike us." "They seek interest and power, and sell their souls." "Petitioners may kneel, but their intentions are good." "Kind-natured, they merely protect their rights." "How many do not kneel?" "Kneeling down before people, for power and money." "No matter who's in office, good systems should be implemented, and citizens will welcome them." "Regardless of the party or the leaders of that party." "If the system is corrupt, citizens feel insecure." "Let me see!" "Stop handing these out!" "I swear to the Party, on July 1, we want to commemorate the birth of the Party with a singing contest." "Stop looking around here." "Why is the Constitution trampled on?" "Why aren't people's interests protected?" "Who does the People's Republic belong to?" "The protective umbrella of corrupt officials!" "I swear by the Party!" "Why don't we hold a singing contest?" "Can't I recite a poem?" "I will leave once I'm done." "Carry on, tourists!" "Are you sleeping?" "What can the people do?" "They'll never lead good lives." "The people have always been slaves." "Will it never end?" "We are the new slaves of socialism." "China's future should be democratic." "All members of society should participate in making decisions on the nation and our everyday lives." "This nation is ruled by a single party." "It bans all the other parties." "China's major shortcoming is its internal struggles within its Party." "One must overpower the others, or vice-versa." "Lack of trust within the Party has caused China to fail to achieve democracy in recent decades." "Democracy requires some degree of tolerance." "Without tolerance, democracy is unachievable." "Clearance sale, customers!" "Clothes, shoes, gifts, luggage, toys, snacks." "All luggage, toys, and gift items must go." "You are welcome to make your purchase." "No one should stay in the waiting area." "The station will close after 11 PM." " Where are you going?" " To Handan." "The 407 to Handan?" "Out this door and to the left." "The train will be leaving soon." "Exit, and turn left." " Will there be a train tomorrow?" " No, the station will be closed." " When is it being demolished?" " In the next few days." "The Olympic Games are coming up." "All my pots and pans were destroyed!" "Everything is shattered." "Yesterday was the worst." "They threw her things my way, and my things her way." "See what they've done!" "What an utter mess!" "And the security guards are evil." "This vat is completely shattered." "A vat full of water." "What a mess." "What a nuisance!" "It took a lot of effort to break this." "What a bunch of bullies." "I screamed, "We are Chinese too!" ""We also love our country!" ""We don't want to become refugees." ""We never expected to be in these circumstances!"" "The more I screamed, the more they wrecked." "Lord, have mercy on us." "Have mercy on those who are suffering and in pain." "Please deliver the hungry." "For our Lord, Jesus Christ, amen." "For the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen." "I don't know what China is waiting for." "The number of petitioners is increasing." "Are they waiting for a national uprising?" "Can I ask you about someone?" "Qi Huaying." "She has petitioned here." " Who?" " Qi Huaying." "She's from Jiangsu." " Why are you looking for her?" " I'm her daughter." "One second." " Do I need to fill out a form?" " No, it's unnecessary." "Can I be received?" "Come here." "Are you Qi's daughter?" " I am." " You look like her." "Let me tell you: your mother..." "Where we lived has been made into roads." "Mom!" "Why did you bring her here?" "Don't act that way." "She just wants to visit." "Is that all?" "Mind your own business." "How could you act like this?" "Why bring these kids here?" "She misses you, and wants you to see her son." "Don't act like this." "How could you?" " Your daughter has come to visit." " She's not my daughter anymore." "Why are you visiting me?" "Stop, I beg you." "Your daughter is here." "Don't be unreasonable." "Hit me." "Get out!" "You want to take my life, too?" "You are not a petitioner." "Your daughter just wants to visit you." "Do you want to take my life?" "How could she be my daughter?" "She came to visit you, that's all." "I've questioned her already." "She has a job and a husband." "She wants to see you." "She's not here to bring you home." "Hit me if you want." "No one has the right!" "I'm petitioning, and no one has the right to take me away." "She looked for you at the station, and at the Central Commission." "Old Chen took her to me." "Don't stand in my doorway." "Please leave us." "What do you know?" "My child was immature." "She misses you!" "I have the right to protect my daughter." "What rights do you have?" "Mom, don't blame her." "Don't blame her, okay?" "I beg you, please don't put her in an awkward situation." "Don't you think I'm sad, too?" "I was there when your father died." "I'm petitioning because I witnessed it." "Juan was there, and so was I." "Don't you think it was sad for me to watch it happen?" "Later, my father also passed away." "I am extremely sad." "It's all their fault." "And I could not even protect you." "Don't cry, mom." "They wanted to kill me, and you too." "Do you know that?" "Mom, don't cry." "I cried for many nights when I first left." "Forgive me, mom." "You think of me now?" "I couldn't keep petitioning with you." "I didn't want you to petition with me." "I would have taken care of you nevertheless." "I provided you with food and all." "I raised you to maturity." "When your father was working," "I sold vegetables on shoulder poles, and I had to care for you." "I know it was hard for you to raise me." "It wasn't easy, on my own." "I asked other petitioners to carry you, and I collected bottles at night, on the train." "Any food I found, I gave to you, while I starved." "I tried to find something good for you to eat, every day." "I had only a vegetarian diet." "Others ate eggs and milk, but I would eat nothing but vegetables." "How could I not be saddened?" "I know, it wasn't easy for you." "How many times have I cried my heart out?" " Keep them yourself." " I have lots of clothes." "This is for your son." "What's up?" "Little rascal!" "I don't want this coat anymore." "When you get on the train tonight, you'll need it." "I still have your old coat." "I don't want it anymore." "There are some kids' clothes, too." " Can't find them." " I'm leaving, then." "I won't walk you out." "Don't come out." "Stay home." "I'll leave now." " Have you got the tickets?" " Yes." "Don't tell people where I live." "I know." "I won't." "If they ask, say I sleep on the street." "I know." "Thank you, Granny." "I left money under her pillow." "She might not know." "Tell her once I'm gone." "She refused to take it from me." "Thank you, Granny, and sorry." "Let's go now." " Would you like some?" " No, I'm fine." "Mr. Liu" "The place we rent is quite far, 10 km away from here." "We have no choice but to live in the suburbs now." "It has become a petitioners' village over there." "Soon Supreme Court alley will be demolished, and so will Petitioners' Village." "They arrest petitioners here daily." "There are orders from the top to evict them." "Yes, it's not their decision." "People who lived under bridges are all being kicked out, to live in the suburbs." "That's all." "Where are you going?" "Under the bridge?" "Is this place better than the last?" "It's quieter, but the air isn't very good." "There's a lot of trash around." "The light is dim." "We can't see anything." "We're hiding for our lives." "It'll be harder for them to find us and throw us out." "I hate the way of this world." "The people cannot survive." " Are you Mrs. Pan's son?" " Yes, I am." " Here to visit her?" " Yes." "Let's talk inside." "We can't talk here." " Will you leave with your son?" " No." "My family wants me to go back." "They should know better." "Put themselves in my shoes." "He doesn't know why I am petitioning, but he is interested in his family, his own business, rearing the kids." "He urges me to spend my golden years at home, because petitions are vain." "Everything is comfortable at home." "We'll live according to our means." "At least we'll be alive, he says." "When I'm out here, everyone worries about me." "My previous petitions were on Party corruption." "I offer suggestions." "Now the Communist Party is corrupt at every echelon of government." "My petitions are an attempt to save it." "How many letters have you sent?" "Two this year." " Four last year." " Four?" "Four letters." "The first two were sent after I returned home." "I wrote them when I was in prison over these four years." "As I said, it is entirely useless, and yet she persists." "What good does it do?" "No one pays attention." "This is the issue." "I don't want to hold power, and have no ulterior motives." "I'm just issuing a warning to leaders who have made mistakes." "When a matter doesn't concern you, you may be unaware of it." "I came to Beijing to right a wrong." "When I arrived, I realized I was not the only one." "At home, I was secluded." "Here in Beijing," "I found out there are many cases of injustice." "My thoughts went to the government." "I'm not the only one affected by corrupt officials." "Are your mother's actions wise?" "I think it's foolish of her to do something she knows is frowned on." " See?" " You are useless." " My son doesn't understand." " You're hurting yourself." "If I felt useless to the nation," "I would not petition." "My mom is in the psychiatric hospital." "A dreadful place." "I don't know what to do." "If I get her released, she won't stay home." "If I don't get her out of there," "I'll feel really bad for her." "I don't know what to do." "Do you visit her?" "I visit two or three times a month." "Basically, once a week." "They won't release her?" "Impossible." "No one will be released until the Olympics are over." "These are her valuables." "She said the rest is unnecessary." "But I must bring her these things." "What a thick wad!" "That's probably all." "I'll put it in the bank later." "Why didn't your mom come back for these things herself?" "She's locked up in a hospital." "A psychiatric hospital!" " Aren't you taking these?" " Will she come out?" "Can't you get her out?" "You have to try." "Your mother is not mentally ill." "They won't release her." "You know the suffering that goes on in there?" "It's no place for people." "I know, but what can I do?" "You can't get her out?" "I used to petition at Xinhuamen." "I went in 2003." "The next year, I was diagnosed with a mental illness." "I went back to petition in 2005, as well as in 2006." "Now I've stopped petitioning, and no one arrests me." "I'm staying here." "But I have to come here, to Beijing." "I couldn't live at home." "I am not allowed to petition." "What is your case about?" "One is a human rights case." "The others are unresolved cases from the Cultural Revolution." "They won't resolve it." "I've been "hospitalized."" "The medication they gave us caused psychotic episodes and made us irrational." "The medications prescribed at the psychiatric hospital are untested." "Their effects are unknown." "But they were tested on us." "It's all the same." "There are all kinds of things like this." "It's difficult to comment on this society." "I believe in Buddhism." "People have lost their way." "They are irrational." "It is hard to speak out, for fear of harming China's image." "You can't show dissatisfaction." "People are muddle-minded and greedy." "At first, I had no idea how to handle my situation." "I had to get the advice of a petitioner." "You had no idea how to petition?" "But you ran an inn for petitioners." "All I knew, really, was that the petitioners went out every day." "Lao Han, the landlord..." "Now a petitioner, too!" "Yes, I became a petitioner." "What's going on?" "Get out of here!" "Why should I?" "This is my former home, you know?" "I lived here." " Here?" " Correct." "But my house is gone." "The house is gone, but I'm looking for the site." "I spent decades here." " You were here?" " Right." "How would you know?" "It's State property now." "I still have to petition them." "Will you win?" "You bet I'll win." "Against the government?" "On August 1, 2008" "The new Beijing South Railway Station was in operation." "On August 8, 2008" "The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games" "Mr. Zhang!" "Mr. Zhang!" "You're still here!" "Will you come up?" "Okay." " Coming up?" " Yes." "They couldn't block you out." "It's almost all bricked up." "Here, I'll help you up." "They promise to solve your problems, but all they do is drag them on." "Look around here." "It's worse than being in jail, where there'd be some light." "Here, it's pitch dark!" "I'd be content to live in peace, even without any light." "I hope these wishes of the inexorable lives I've encountered, will one day come true."