On May 20, during an inspection of Luoyang and Zhengzhou in Henan, Xi Jinping, the head of the Chinese regime, emphasized: strengthening social governance, better uniting and serving the masses, improving the coordination mechanism for the interests of the masses, enhancing public service levels, sincerely and empathetically solving urgent and difficult problems faced by the masses, as well as improving government integrity, corporate integrity, and social integrity.
In fact, during the pandemic period of the national economy in 2022, several rural banks in Henan, including Yuzhou Xinminsheng Rural Bank and Shangcai Huimin Rural Bank, had already frozen depositors’ accounts, seizing hundreds of billions in deposits, involving tens of thousands of people across various provinces nationwide. This action directly provoked public anger. At this time, the Chinese regime employed counterrevolutionary tactics by assigning red health codes to petitioning depositors and detaining them on the spot, even deploying police gangs and thugs numbering in the thousands to violently and brutally suppress the protesting masses. Over the following three years, depositors have persisted in their struggle, mainly through petitioning, demanding the unfreezing and return of their deposits. Petitioning under the Chinese regime is just a pretense, but in a fascist dictatorship, allowing some people to petition shows the fear of mass gatherings and struggles. Although the regime can no longer use red codes as a method, the enhanced security system during the pandemic and the routinely used plainclothes police still function to suppress internally, setting up multiple checkpoints to create difficulties and strictly control petitioners.
As the highest leader of Henan’s financial regulatory department, Qin Hanfeng once promised: he has been studying solutions to the problem, and legal rights will be guaranteed. But the fact is Qin Hanfeng disregards the rule of law and integrity, infringes and ignores the interests of the masses, and has been deceiving depositors with lies. The bank deposits illegally frozen by Henan for more than three years have not been returned even a penny; depositors can only beg at Qin Hanfeng’s office door. Angry depositors shout: “Qin Hanfeng, come out, get out!”
On April 28, due to the Kaifeng New Oriental Rural Bank under Henan Rural Commercial Bank setting demand deposit accounts to deposit-only, some Henan rural bank depositors had to petition again at the National Petition Bureau. This depositor had repeatedly gone to Henan to demand their deposits, but not only did they not withdraw a single cent, they were detained and abused, and no department has admitted freezing the deposits. On June 2, 2020, CITIC Bank’s personal online banking showed that the payment account ending in 2915 successfully transferred 3 million yuan via mobile banking to the recipient account ending in 1498. Meanwhile, the personal online banking electronic receipt from Kaifeng New Oriental Rural Bank showed that the 3 million yuan deposit was successfully credited. Ironically, the receipt specifically states: “The domestic and foreign currency deposits accepted by this institution are protected according to the Deposit Insurance Regulations.” This undoubtedly proves that Henan rural bank depositors hold UnionPay card deposits, not the rumored fake deposit slips/fake deposits. The bank has not been emptied by anyone and continues normal operations; deposits have never been stolen by anyone and have always been safely kept in depositors’ personal savings accounts, only set to deposit-only with no withdrawal allowed. To date, no department has issued any deposit freezing documents.
From May 8 to 9, after the central inspection team entered Henan, dozens of Henan rural bank depositors went to Henan and successfully made appointments for face-to-face meetings with the inspection team. Unexpectedly, on the eve of the meeting, depositors were illegally detained by multiple plainclothes officers at Zhongzhou International Hotel and Jinhua Hotel and were prohibited from meeting the inspection team. Depositors shouted in the hotel: “We want freedom, we want our deposits, help!”
On May 13, all pedestrian bridge entrances near the Henan Petition Bureau were closed. Meanwhile, more and more people were making appointments to meet the inspection team at the bureau entrance. By 6:30 a.m. on the 13th, no more appointment numbers were available, and one had to wait seven days to meet the inspection team. Whenever Henan rural bank depositors go out, a group of unidentified individuals follows them closely, never leaving their side.
On the morning of May 21, more than ten Henan rural bank depositors arrived in Zhengzhou and successfully received individual appointment numbers to meet the central inspection team. UnionPay card deposits have been illegally frozen for 4 years, with no department providing an explanation. Depositors said: “This place is extremely corrupt, too many grievances, nowhere to appeal. Are there so many people crying out for justice in Henan? Thousands every day.”
Ironically, the appointment numbers for that afternoon required waiting until June 16 to meet the inspection team. Just the difference between morning and afternoon queues means waiting an additional three days.
On the afternoon of May 22, dozens of Henan rural bank depositors gathered at the entrance of the Henan Regulatory Bureau of the National Financial Regulatory Administration, demanding to meet the bureau chief Qin Hanfeng. Depositors found that since the outbreak of the Henan rural bank incident in 2022, the prestigious signboard of the Henan Financial Regulatory Bureau has never been re-hung.
On the afternoon of May 23 in Zhengzhou, Henan, depositors coming to meet the central inspection team were followed and provoked by unidentified persons. Depositors immediately saw through their sinister intentions: if provoked into conflict, the plainclothes police on standby in Henan would promptly arrest depositors under the pretext of “mediating disputes,” thereby preventing them from meeting the central inspection team.
On May 24, Henan rural bank depositors including Zhang Fengzhen went to Henan to meet the central inspection team. Family member Ba Zhongjun exposed the dark truths at the entrance of the Henan Regulatory Bureau of the National Financial Regulatory Administration: “Our whole family of six has had their bank card deposits inaccessible for more than three years. We were once robbed of our phones by police from Linshanzhai and Putian police stations in Zhengzhou, abused by police from Shanghai Gonghexin Road police station, illegally detained and had phones seized by police from Shanghai Jiacheng police station, and police from Jiacheng/Juyuan police stations illegally broke into our home. We were threatened and intimidated by the Shanghai Petition Office and followed and retaliated against by unknown persons. Our family was forced into ruin and death. When staying at a hotel in Zhengzhou, Henan, the power was cut, and we were followed and trailed by unknown persons. We now have to wander the streets outside the Henan Financial Regulatory Bureau. We ask the Henan government to stop slandering rural bank depositors, implement rule of law and integrity construction, and return deposits as soon as possible.”
Although reality has repeatedly shown that even if petitioning breaks through the Chinese regime’s blockade, problems remain unresolved, and the central inspection team is not a just and fair authority. It is just that many already suffering masses watch helplessly as their life savings, accumulated through decades of hard work, are swept away. Who will care for their infants still nursing at home, the elderly lying in hospital beds, or those awaiting surgery to save their lives? This leaves them no choice but to grasp this “lifesaving” straw. However, the fundamental fact remains that the brutal oppression of the masses by the Chinese regime cannot be fundamentally changed through begging for reform. The masses must overthrow the reactionary rule of the Chinese regime through revolutionary violence and create a kingdom that belongs to the workers with their own hands.
