Evicting tenants by loudspeaker

Imagine receiving threats all day long, through a loudspeaker. That's daily life for residents of a town in northeast China, where the authorities are trying everything to get rid of them.

In need of moving them out before demolition, the Shenyang authorities chose to bombard remaining residents with endless announcements over loudspeaker. For almost a year the crackly threats have been echoing around the district of Nanta. Webusers from the neighbourhood vent their frustrations online.

This video was filmed in October and posted on YouTube with the subtitles by BetterChina along with this comment:

I think this loudspeaker business is still going on and will be going on for a long time - until the tenants give in or the authorities run out of patience and end up simply knocking everything down.

It's a snapshot of life in China, life under an oppressive government, where the rights of the people have no protection. The Chinese are accustomed to things people in other countries would find awful. The government can treat people how they like, and no one can do anything about it."

We weren't able to confirm if the loudspeakers are still being used.

Exasperated residents turn to the web for sympathy

Comment posted on the Sohu forum by Rose Aimi 17 June 2008:

When will the Nanta Shenyang district be demolished? Does anyone know?

My apartment's just next to the demolition area, and even though our building isn't being knocked down, the loudspeakers are everywhere, and some face in our direction. Everyday, from eight in the morning till nine at night, the messages blare out. Over and over again.

Children and the elderly are literally traumatised. Those who work can't relax with this racket and make mistakes at work, and children can't revise for their exams. The pensioners came to live here to take advantage of the quiet - something that we can only dream of now. They're really suffering.

I've made loads of complaints but nobody's replied and nothing's changed. Can someone help us?"

Comment posted on Sohu by Yaoke Daxue, 1 November 2008:

I live near by the area too. The residents are starting to hope a bomb will land on the local government office. Are they deaf or dumb? Why don't they care about people suffering? Plus they know it's completely illegal. That's why, during the three days of homage for the Sichuan earthquake victims, they decided to turn them off. They switched them off during the Gaokao [national university entrance exams] and the Olympic Games too. They wouldn't dare contend Beijing. But outside of these exceptional circumstances the loudspeakers carry on blaring. I hope the regional government or someone even higher up will sort this out soon."