Before the self-immolation of a father and son in Donghai, Jiangsu, part of their family was forcibly sent to the suburbs. Meanwhile, arrangements were being made for the aftermath of Tao Huixi's death, though the exact compensation amount had not yet been finalized. However, Li Baofu stated that it could be confirmed that the compensation standard would strictly follow relevant regulations.
Tao Qiuyu said the direct cause of the self-immolation was that the people enforcing the forced demolition first seized more than 80 pigs from his grandfather's pigpen, which then led to the self-immolation incident.
The spokesperson claimed there was no physical contact.
He emphasized that after preliminary understanding, it was determined that no pigs were taken and that before the self-immolation of Tao family father and son, no staff members had physical contact with them.
On March 29, Tao Xingyao's house was left as rubble after the demolition, with four waist-high red fire extinguishers lying on the south side of the house.
Villagers claimed the demolition team did not act according to procedures.
"A car’s fire extinguishers aren't this big. I guess they prepared for the possibility of someone self-immolating before the forced demolition," one villager said, "Otherwise, who would bring professional fire extinguishers to demolish a house?"
In the follow-up to the self-immolation case in Yancheng, Jiangsu: many people said they were beaten and detained due to demolition.
Villagers also revealed that the town government did not genuinely consider the villagers' interests when setting compensation standards, leading to conflicts within the Tao family.
Tao Qiuyu introduced that he still hadn’t dared to tell his grandfather that his father had passed away.
Regarding the forced demolition that led to the 92-year-old man's self-immolation on March 27, the Donghai County government of Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province, responded again yesterday. The county government spokesperson said that the government continued with the demolition even after the elder's self-immolation mainly to prevent secondary disasters.
Even some villagers believed that the town officials knew the Taos might self-immolate but didn’t take it seriously.
According to Tao Qiuyu, after the incident, the county government announced news claiming that the Tao family demanded 1 million yuan in compensation, implying the self-immolation was for money. This claim was denied by Tao Qiuyu.
After the self-immolation, the Donghai County government classified the incident as a village casualty accident. Local villagers disagreed with this classification, stating that if the demolition personnel had followed proper procedures, the self-immolation wouldn’t have happened.
For the investigation results, the county government promised to release findings soon.
The burned face has turned carbon-colored, covered with bandages, and the smell of burnt flesh is still detectable.
Yesterday, Tao Xingyao, who once participated in the Kinmen Battle, lay in bed with his eyes tightly closed, shaking his head continuously.
"Recently, grandpa kept complaining about pain when he first entered the hospital," Tao Qiuyu, Tao Xingyao's grandson, said, "After grandpa self-immolated and fell unconscious for quite a while, whenever he woke up, he asked those around him how his father (Tao Huixi) was? Were the house and the pigs at home okay?"
One villager who witnessed the self-immolation said that as soon as the Tao family father and son set themselves on fire, the demolition personnel immediately pulled out fire extinguishers from their vehicles.
A knowledgeable villager confirmed Tao Qiuyu's statement: "Tao Huixi owed a lot of money from raising pigs, and with less compensation for the house, he couldn't accept it. Once they took the pigs, it wasn't surprising he self-immolated."
Regarding these doubts, Donghai County spokesperson Li Baofu said that an investigation into why the self-immolation occurred, whether the demolition procedures were complete, and whether the assessors' qualifications were valid was fully underway, with results expected to be released soon.
Li Baofu confirmed that after the Tao family father and son self-immolated, the demolition indeed continued. He explained that the demolition wasn't just for demolition's sake; "Mainly because after the self-immolation incident, Tao's house was severely damaged. The fundamental reason for continuing the demolition was that the on-site staff were worried about secondary disasters caused by the fire."
This report was written by reporter Cui Muyang.