Villager assaulted after challenging official to swim in polluted river
Pailian villager Chen Yuqian, 60, made the offer last Wednesday so the official could aware how polluted the river was. But instead, Chen Yuqian was roughed up by over 40 villagers on Sunday morning, his daughter Chen Xiufang revealed on microblog Sina Weibo.
A Zhejiang villager said he was attacked by a group of villagers after he had offered an environmental official some money to swim in a polluted river.
The daughter posted photos online showing her father with scratches and bruises on his face. She told SCMP.com the assault was orchestrated by village officials in retaliation for previous petitions about water pollution.
Pailian village officials did not respond on Tuesday to SCMP.com’s inquires about the attack.
Chen Yuqian was one of several residents in Zhejiang, who recently posted blogs on Sina Weibo offering cash rewards to environmental officials if they swam in polluted rivers. It is a new way citizens in China are using to raise public awareness about water pollution.