Sichuan Province peasant has limbs almost amputated by unofficial government enforcers hired for forced demolition

On Aug. 16, Li Chengbin, who lives in Group One Kunlun village, Pengnan, Pengxi, Shichuan Province had his arms and legs amputated by government thugs hired to ensure citizens were held at bay during a forced demolition.

According to Tang Qing, Li’s wife, the government told the couple that their house was in the designated demolition path created in order to repair Sui-Guang highway. Jiang Zhicai, an employee of the Pengxi county consultation office, called Li and Tang and asked them to come to Pengnan to discuss demolition matters. When the couple arrived at Group One Kunlun village, they discovered that part of their house had already been demolished.

Du Zhixiu, Tang’s 71-year-old mother, and Cao Yinghai, Tang’s sister-in-law, had forced the demolition team to cease demolition due to the fact that they had not been provided reasonable compensation.

While this happened, Zhicai asked Li and Tang to accompany him to the town office to deal with the demolition matters. When the couple began to start their car in order to follow Zhicai, over 20 men with saws and clubs, measuring around three feet in length, rushed from three white minibuses that were parked approximately 50 yards from the couple’s car. The men pulled both Li and Tang from the car, broke the car key, and took Tang’s cell phone. A young man pushed Tang to the ground and beat her violently with a club. The man did not stop until Tang begged continuously.

Meanwhile, Li was chased by approximately 20 men. Li climbed the roof of his neighbor’s one-story house; however, several of the men simply climbed up after Li. Li kept running and climbed onto the tiled roof of the next neighbor’s house. The men began throwing bricks and tiles at Li, hitting him in the head and causing a large gash on his head.

The men on the roof then approached Li with their weapons and proceeded to brutally amputate Li’s arms and legs. After the amputation, the men pushed Li off the roof with his wounds exposed. Once on the ground, several men began beating Li and did not stop until Tang used her body to shield her husband and begged the men to give Li a chance to live. After Tang’s pleading, the men drove away.

While this vicious beating occurred, government officials from the Pengxi county consultation office, including Zhicai, Tang Xiaohui and Luo Qi, and village elite, Deng Bing and Sun Mingqi, stood by and watched. Many villagers who witnessed the occurrence called emergency numbers, but the policemen did not arrive until medical workers transported the wounded to the hospital. Li was taken to Sining Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital where attending Dr. Zhangdong listed Li as being in critical condition. Li is still in a coma.

Rachel Ritchie, English Media Director

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