by Juliet Song
The Epoch Times » ChinaToday, 07:05
Residents, whose homes were destroyed in the explosion at a chemical warehouse last week, protest outside the hotel where authorities are holding a press conference in Tianjin on August 17, 2015.(STR/AFP/Getty Images)
Four months after a series of massive explosions in the Chinese port of Tianjin reduced buildings to rubble, victims are still waiting for relief. They fear chemical contamination, and government compensation they counted on to make them whole has not been forthcoming.
“No one can work here. I sent away the workers several months ago. I’ve been waiting for the government’s material aid, but it hasn’t come, “said Mr. Zhao in an interview with Deutsche Welle. Central heating in his factory was damaged, and plastic cloth has been used to cover a large hole 10 feet in diameter.
Those who lost their home and assets in the disaster may remember the awe-inspiring moment when they escaped with their lives. Since then they have faced a hard slog of seeking to defend their rights and gain government compensation. They report being offered nothing, or an amount far below any reasonable standard.
The blast site used to look like the way the movies portray the end of the world. In the months since there have been some changes. Scaffolds brace buildings near the blast, and new metal window frames can be seen in many buildings. Hundreds of sacks of toxic waste are stacked together, waiting to be removed by staff in white protective clothes.
Victims are not satisfied with the clean up, and many small enterprise owners like Mr. Zhao feel like they have been abandoned. They are struggling in a desperate situation caused by the blast, and still cling to hopes that compensation from the government could ease the pain of losing their assets. Mr. Zhao purchased the factory ten years ago and is still paying back his loan.
“If any compensation cannot be granted, we are destroyed,” said Mr. Zhao. He has been working hard to get government’s attention, but feels he has been kicked between different government agencies like a rubber ball. No one wants to take responsibility.
Mr. Jiang, who operates a logistics company is in a similar situation, as government compensation is his only hope, due to losses he can’t recoup.
Things are no easier for residents who live in the Binhai New Area, where the blast happened. On Aug. 17, the city government issued a quarterly compensation of US$924 dollars, which many apartment owners refused to accept.
“US$308 [per month] is not even enough for monthly rent in the Tanggu District [part of the Binhai New Area]!” said Mr. Lei, one of the apartment owners, to Beijing News, a Beijing-based newspaper.
Many apartment owners told Beijing News that taking the resettlement compensation amounts to an agreement to rent a place nearby and renovate their property. But many of them don’t ever want to go back. Their property suffered severe damage, they are concerned about the environment, and want to get out from under the shadow of the disaster. According to the official tally, 173 people were killed in the explosions.
Mr. Qin, another apartment owner in Port City, told Beijing News, “Who wants to rent in a place where such a disaster happened?”
Li Yaqing (assumed name), is another apartment owner. She told NetEase that she is enraged that the resettlement compensation is so low. She and other petitioners have sought to defend their rights.
The government has offered to compensate them 30 percent more than what they paid for the property, or the choice of renovation compensation of up to 16 percent of the property’s worth. Owners who signed the agreement before Sept. 3, 2015 earned a bonus of US$3082 dollars.
The owners’ instant reaction was that they couldn’t sign the agreement. Such compensation could not purchase any property of quality similar to what they previously had, with today’s real estate prices being so high.
However, owners who work in state-owned enterprises or as civil servants found themselves called into the boss’s office, where they were threatened to sign the agreement before the deadline. If they didn’t sign, they were told promotions, bonuses, and pensions would be affected. They could also be removed from their positions.
For Fu Yong (assumed name), who works as shipping agent, earning enough money to buy property of a similar quality will only take him one-half to one year. Nonetheless, he petitioned with other owners who were harmed. “Honestly I just want to vent my spleen, I can’t believe that there is such an unfair thing in the world,” he said.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1934234-four-months-after-tianjin-blast-victims-seek-relief/
