Forced relocation on Council's radar

• Source: Global Times
• [04:24 December 17 2009]
• Comments

Wang Xixin, professor of law at Peking University, said in an interview with the Beijing News on Tuesday that he is concerned about the confiscation process.

He is also concerned with whether commercial principles should be considered when dealing with compensation, and ways to avoid violent behaviors, including cutting off electricity and water supply, in relocation.

Chen Yijia, an assistant to a judge of Shijingshan district court, told the newspaper that the rights of property owners are not clearly specified.

He added that the compensation issue is also complicated because the landlords, tenants and residents living inside the property have different demands, and the relocation procedure is affected if the interest of the three parties is not settled.

According to the Constitution and Property Law, a citizen's private property is inviolable.

The government should only confiscate a person's home for public welfare projects.

However, in many places, Wang said developers with relocation permits negotiate with residents and force them to move out if the negotiations fail.

Wang suggested that the government should withdraw from business relocation work.

"The government should let residents decide if they want to move out or not. And by doing so, many conflicts could be solved," he said.

A spokesman for the State Council's Legislative Affairs Office said they will seek the opinion of scholars and parties affected by relocation before submitting the draft to the for further scrutiny.