Zhang Shulan’s scarred and deformed face is shocking to look at. She was once a fit and healthy woman but now, with her hair gone and facial features distorted, she looks nothing like her former self.<\/p>\n
The 64-year-old’s visual change came about in a single act.<\/p>\n
When “hired thugs” came to evict her earlier this year she poured petrol over herself and set it alight.<\/p>\n
“I did it because they tore down my house without my permission. I set fire to myself because I didn’t want to live – they forced me – I had no choice,” said a tearful Mrs Zhang.<\/p>\n
“Ordinary people don’t have any rights at all. I feel so upset.”<\/p>\n
She is still fighting for what she believes is her right to proper compensation for her former home, now demolished.<\/p>\n
She is not alone. Dozens of people in her district have similar claims, as have thousands of others across China.<\/p>\n
Hired thugs<\/p>\n
As the country races to develop, the government has not been able to stop hundreds of conflicts over land use.<\/p>\n
The state council, China’s highest government body, recently issued guidelines to prevent forced demolitions like that of Mrs Zhang’s home.<\/p>\n
But cases of people taking extreme action because they believe they have been treated unfairly continue – suggesting the government has a major problem on its hands.<\/p>\n
Mrs Zhang is one of a handful of residents who have refused to move from their shabby, single-storey homes in Tongzhou, a suburb of Beijing, to make way for redevelopment.<\/p>\n
The local government appears to have great hopes for the district, which has good transport links to central Beijing.<\/p>\n
Some developers are suggesting Tongzhou could become the “Manhattan of China”.<\/p>\n
The centre of this suburb has been transformed with fancy shops and restaurants. New apartment blocks have sprung up and large areas have been cleared for future projects.<\/p>\n
Selling off land to developers earns Chinese local governments billions of dollars every year – about 30% of their budgets on average.<\/p>\n
But redevelopment means people have to move – and some do not want to go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Read more: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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