A Shenzhen resident has threatened to sue Long Yongtu , secretary general of the Boao Forum Asia, for his insistence that authorities should take a hard stance on 'dissenters'. Mr Long, a former deputy minister for foreign trade and economic co-operation, made the controversial remarks on June 28 at a public forum, where he said: 'Governments should take a harsh stand on disobedient citizens and not be pressured.' He further irritated some people by saying 'nail-house' owners - people who refuse to leave their homes and make way for development, often because of unsatisfactory compensation - could negotiate with the government but should not ask for too high a price. Mr Long's words caused uproar in internet chat rooms, with many saying they felt offended by being called dissenters just for trying to safeguard their own interests. The discontent was confined to the internet until Liu Min , a Shenzhen businessman, decided to formally demand that Mr Long apologise. Mr Liu had sent a letter of complaint to the Boao secretariat on Sunday saying he would sue Mr Long if he did not apologise within 60 days, the Southern Metropolis News reported. 'I feel humiliated,' Mr Liu told the newspaper. 'I don't break the law or commit any crimes. I don't evade tax, don't cheat or swindle; how have I become a dissenter? 'I don't think there are so-called dissenters ... Is the nail-house owner in Chongqing a dissenter?' Mr Liu was referring to a couple in Chongqing who eventually struck a deal for a commercial property and cash compensation last year after staging a high-profile protest that lasted for 11 days. 'There shouldn't be such a term as dissenter. It's an old term from feudal times. Now everybody is a citizen, and they shouldn't be humiliated if they don't break the law.' Zhang Xingbin , a lawyer in Shenzhen who counselled Mr Liu for free, said Mr Liu was entitled to a response from the secretariat within five days on whether the complaint was officially filed, and a result within 60 days if the complaint was accepted for consideration. Boao Forum officials were unavailable for comment.
