- Wei Wenhua
Infobox Person
name = Wei Wenhua
image_size =
caption =
birth_date = birth date|1967|1|3
birth_place =China
death_date = death date and age|2008|1|7|1967|1|3
death_place = Wanba,Tianmen ,Hubei
death_cause = Beaten to death
other_names =
known_for =
occupation = Construction managerWei Wenhua (Chinese: Chinese: ;
Pinyin : Wèi Wénhuá; January 3, 1967cite news |first=Audra |last=Ang | work =Associated Press viaSan Francisco Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Corporation | date = 2008-01-9 | title = Detentions Follow Chinese Protest | accessdate = 2008-01-13 | url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/01/09/international/i062131S66.DTL ] cite news | work =Associated Press via International Herald Tribune |publisher=The New York Times Company | date =2008-01-11 | title = China fires official amid investigation into beating death of protest onlooker | accessdate = 2008-01-11 | url = http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/01/11/news/China-Protest-Death.php ] – January 7, 2008) was the general manager of a construction company, Shuli Architectural Engineering. He was beaten to death inWanba ,Tianmen ,Hubei , after attempting to film Chinese authorities clashing with villagers.cite news | work = CNN Online |publisher=Time Warner | date = 2008-01-11 | title = Man beaten to death in China for taking pictures | accessdate = 2008-01-11 | url = http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/01/11/china.blogger/index.html ]Death
The conflict which Wei attempted to film centered on a garbage dump in the village that the Chinese government was using, which the village government feared to be threatening to the inhabitants' lives.cite news | last = Bandurski | first = David | year = 2008 | title = Brutal killing of (citizen journalist) Wei Wenhua underscores the evils of China’s “urban management” system | accessdate = 2008-01-11 | url = http://cmp.hku.hk/2008/01/10/814/ |work=China Media Project |publisher=
University of Hong Kong ]The Chinese media reported that Wei was beaten by a group of thirty or more
Chengguan (urban management officers) when he attempted to photograph the villagers protesting (by attempting to prevent more garbage being dumped) with amobile phone (it is not currently known what Wei was attempting to use the photographs for). He was beaten inside his car for five minutescite news |first=Audra |last=Ang |title= Detentions follow Chinese protest |url= http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104ap_china_protest_death.html |work=AP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer |publisher= |date=2008-01-09 |accessdate=2008-01-13 ] and declared dead at a local hospital soon after.Response to death
Qi Zhengjun , secretary-general of the city's government and commander of the municipal force, was fired from his position after the incident, following public outrage and government investigation into Wei's death. Twenty-four Chengguan members, as well as over one hundred other government personnel, were also questioned, [cite news | publisher =BBC News | date = 2008-01-11 | title = Official sacked for China beating | accessdate = 2008-01-11 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7182475.stm ] and four people were detained.According to Chen Junling, Wei's brother-in-law, a protest outside Tianmen's city hall the day after Wei's death comprised thousands of people.
ee also
*
Internet censorship in the People's Republic of China
*Politics of the People's Republic of China
*Citizen journalism
*Citizen media References
Persondata
NAME=Wei, Wenhua
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=
DATE OF BIRTH=January 3 ,1967
PLACE OF BIRTH=China
DATE OF DEATH=January 7 ,2008
PLACE OF DEATH=Wanba ,Tianmen ,Hubei
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