Recently, the East Sea Fleet's Shanghai Base forcibly repossessed the welfare housing of retired soldiers, sparking protests. The image shows, on November 2, retired soldiers and their families gathered at the intersection of Shuidian Road and Guangzhong Road at the Navy Shanghai Base office location. (Provided by an informed source)
[November 11, 2024] Recently, the Chinese Communist Party's East Sea Fleet Shanghai Base forcibly repossessed the welfare housing of retired soldiers, causing discontent and protests from retired soldiers and their families, leading to clashes. The police arrested and assaulted people; elderly individuals in their seventies and eighties were pushed to the ground and held down, leaving them with no recourse.
A “Housing Certification Notice” issued on October 27 to retired soldiers of the Navy Shanghai Base shows that, according to the Central Military Commission's Military Apartment Housing Management Measures (Military Office Document [2023] No. 35), military personnel who leave active duty must vacate their original family apartments. Retired soldiers were required to vacate apartment housing by November 20, and those who failed to do so would face “measures to repossess the housing.” However, it was also stipulated that if “there is no other housing in the stationing area, one could apply for temporary rental with supporting documents” and sign a housing lease contract as per regulations.
Only three days after the notice was issued, on October 31, a video showed individuals in black clothing and camouflage uniforms appearing at the doors of military housing residents, pouring glue into lock cylinders, pasting seals, and taking photos.
Forcible Repossession of Welfare Housing Targets Retired Soldiers
An informed source told an Epoch Times reporter that the welfare housing, allocated by the original unit and recognized by the General Logistics Department at the time of retirement, was now classified as military apartment housing, with a deadline for vacating. The military employed harsh methods in the forced housing clearance campaign, including cutting off water and electricity and welding shut entry doors. This affected thousands of retired officers from stationed troops in Shanghai, some with significant ranks.
This action sparked intense discontent among the retired officers. Some photographed doors with seals and posted a work titled “Humiliated Military Transfer,” with content depicting “welded doors” and credited to the “Shanghai Base Military Housing Office.”
In early November, families of retired officers and retired soldiers protested in the No. 1 residential area of the Navy Shanghai Base. Videos from the scene showed elderly individuals lined up in two rows on both sides of the street in the community, holding banners and chanting slogans. They carried banners reading “Oppose Illegal Infringement, Defend Legal Housing Rights to Death,” “Support Clearing Illegal Housing, Firmly Protect Legal Entitlements,” and “Implement the Spirit of Document No. 62 According to Law,” with many residents taking photos.
Others gathered in front of the Navy's Shanghai First Guesthouse, each holding a white sheet of paper reading “Homeless in Glory.”
A large number of police and security personnel arrived at the protest site at the No. 1 office of the Navy Shanghai Base, arresting and assaulting people, with elderly individuals in their seventies and eighties pushed and pinned to the ground. “They pushed the elderly to the ground and held them down.” Multiple clashes occurred on-site, emotions ran high, and someone was put in a chokehold, cursing, “These executioners.” Someone was arrested for shouting, “The police are hitting people.”
An informed source told the Epoch Times reporter, “Many of them served in the military in other places when they were young, then transferred to Shanghai and became state officials after retirement. Before their retirement, the military allocated these houses to them, which were basic barracks, known as family courtyards. These houses have been there for 20 years, and now they want to evict them all. The military wants to take back the housing.
“Housing like this probably exists in military units nationwide, and now the reasons for repossessing the houses sound legitimate, such as family members occupying them. But those family members were also military dependents in the past. If you take back the house when someone leaves the military, you provide some economic compensation, but now, suddenly, they want to take back the house without anything. The residents disagree: 'My son and daughter served in the military their whole lives, and you want to evict me, an old lady, from where I live?'
“They hired people wearing black clothes with short haircuts; there were urban management officers and security guards. These security companies are specialized in handling such dirty work, and they’re outsiders who have no ties to Shanghai, so they’re not afraid of offending local residents. These retired military officers and their families have been in the Shanghai Base for decades and see this place as their home, which is a different feeling.”
A reporter attempted to contact the housing office at the Shanghai Base for inquiries. The office did not deny the events described by the reporter but refused to respond on the grounds of not being able to verify the reporter’s identity and hung up.
Housing Rights of Retired Soldiers Violated Nationwide
The informed source indicated that unlike the Army and Air Force, which have large enclosed plots, the Navy family courtyards in Shanghai are small and blend with the civilian population, with some buildings housing Navy families, many elderly. The houses are at most 70 square meters and not in prime locations, as the Navy base could not be in the city center.
It is reported that violations of retired officers’ housing rights are happening in Shanghai, Qingdao, Beijing, and other places. The military does not directly appear but entrusts third parties to handle the situations. Those unwilling to leave must pay 5,000 yuan per month in rent.
A retired Navy veteran recorded a video in front of a Navy dormitory in Yinzhou District, Ningbo, stating that he served for 23 years and received the house in 1988. It was allocated based on his years of service and position, and he had lived there for over 30 years. After retirement, he bought a commercial house, but now the military wanted to repossess the house, welding doors, breaking locks, cutting off water and electricity. “This is how they treat a retired officer…
“They didn’t notify me, just wrote a notice here. All my belongings are inside, and they have notarization and evidence preservation. How can this be handled? So I must protest and appeal. This is my private property, allocated to me, and this action is excessive.” He said.
Why Does the Military Want to Repossess These Houses? An informed source believes that the CCP military is highly corrupt. The military colludes with local entities, leading to unchecked power and corruption in military management. Now, the military nationwide aims to reclaim houses from former officers, as military funding is insufficient and finances are tight, targeting retired officers and their families. This desperation even impacts military personnel to the extent of near madness.
In 2000, the State Council and Central Military Commission of the CCP issued the Housing Security Measures for Military Retired Cadres, known as “Document No. 62.” Shanghai’s retired soldiers believe that Document No. 62 remains effective, with no official document nullifying it. Their current predicament is due to military and local authorities failing to implement the document, not because of retirement or purchasing private houses. During their service, their housing funds were inactive accounts, classified as welfare housing, and the “old policy for old servicemen” should apply. If the military insists on clearing the housing, it must coordinate with Shanghai city regarding economic housing for retired servicemen, meaning “guarantee first, then clear housing.”
Editor in Charge: Gao Jing
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