A Hong Kong resident has written to the central government to protest against the eviction of her parents from their Shanghai flat to make way for a property development by tycoon Chau Ching-ngai. Shum Ting is the daughter of one of six plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Mr Chau and the Jing'an district government. The suit alleges corruption in the transfer of land and failure to pay adequate compensation. The developer is now under investigation for unspecified financial problems and has reportedly been detained by police. A Shanghai court held a half-day session on the case last month, but has yet to make a ruling. The letter calls for help from President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao to resolve the dispute. Ms Shum said she wrote the letter out of concern after lawyer Zheng Enchong, who was advising the group on the court case, was arrested on charges of stealing state secrets. In the letter, Ms Shum repeats allegations from the lawsuit that Mr Chau received the land for free and failed to provide for the original residents. She said her parents, both retired, were forced to move to a distant suburb on short notice. 'I hope this letter can help resolve the problem,' she said.