An elderly Chinese farmer in Heilongjiang is unhappy with a local company polluting his hometown. So he’s taken matters into his own hands by studying law to sue the company himself.
Wang Enlin, a farmer in his 60s, decided to take on the state-owned Qihua Group (worth over RMB2 billion) after he claimed they dumped toxic wastewater on his field back in 2001.
After the flood, Mr. Wang complained to the Land Resources Bureau of Qiqihar. But his complaint wasn’t enough, and officials kept insisting he provide more evidence that the village had been polluted.
“I knew I was in the right, but I did not know what law the other party had broken or whether or not there was evidence,” Wang told local media.
Calcium carbide was dumped in the village.
According to People’s Daily, a government document from 2001 addressing the case stated that the polluted farmland “can not be used for a long time.” Despite that warning, Qihua allegedly continued to dump wastewater in the village until 2016.
Frustrated with his experience, Wang decided to take charge himself.
Despite having not even completed primary school, Wang began studying law in order to battle Qihua Group. Having no funds to buy books, he and a local bookstore owner agreed on a barter deal wherein Wang would exchange corn for the chance to read in-store and copy down useful information.
Using his expanding legal knowledge, Wang helped out his neighbors over the next 16 years in assembling evidence to build up a case against Qihua. A Chinese law firm specializing in pollution even decided to pitch in and provide free legal advice from 2007 onwards after hearing about his case. A court finally agreed to take on the case in 2015.
Mr. Wang’s hard work paid off when they won their first instance. The Angangxi District Court of Qiqihar awarded the affected villagers with a financial compensation of RMB280,000 to be paid by the Qihua Group. However, the Qihua Group has appealed the ruling and the case is currently under review.
Despite the setback, Wang is confident about his odds.
“We will certainly win,” he told local media. “Even if we lose, we will continue to battle.”
[Image via People's Daily Online]
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