Stand-off at Beijing 'nail house'

By Michael Bristow | BBC World News
July 16, 2008

A Beijing family are refusing to move from their city centre home, despite a court order threatening to throw them out.

Family members say they are not being offered enough compensation for the home they bought 60 years ago.

Their campaign is attracting large crowds, who gather at the tumble-down shack in the heart of historic Beijing. It could pose a problem for officials, who want to avoid embarrassing incidents ahead of the Olympic Games.

Yu Pingju, one of 14 family members who live in the house, said it was bought before the Communists took power in China in 1949.

Until recently, it was also the family's workplace; they sold roast chestnuts, peanuts and other snacks from the roadside home.

But then they were told to move as part of a plan to tidy up the neighbourhood, which is near many of the city's main tourist attractions.

All other residents appear to have moved on, allowing the area to be spruced up. But the Yus refused to accept the 340,000 yuan ($49,900, £24,800) compensation.

"In Beijing you can't even buy something the size of a toilet for that," said 40-year-old Ms Yu, as she stood with her arms folded outside her home.

Officials who administer the district have obtained a court order, which says the family had to move out by 13 July. But they are still there.

"I'm not going - I've got nowhere to go to. We are going to defend our house with our lives," said Ms Yu.

'No say'

The Yus' Beijing home is one of many "nail houses" that have sprung up over China, particularly since the introduction of a property law last year.

These are homes whose owners have refused to leave to make way for redevelopment.

As part of their campaign, the family have plastered their shack with flags and slogans. One says simply: "This is my home."

They have also put up posters of Chinese leaders because they believe they could help them resolve the issue.

"If they knew about this problem, they would look after us. They would care and sympathise with us," said Ms Yu.

The colourful home has now become something of an attraction, grabbing the attention of passers-by and those who live in the district.

One local said: "In Beijing, house demolition often ends up with forced eviction. Ordinary people don't have a say."

This poses a problem for Beijing officials, who will want to resolve the issue without being too heavy-handed.