Chinese billionaires are always in news. First Jack Ma and now it is another well known billionaire Sun Dawu. Sun Dawu was arrested and sentenced to 18 years in prison for picking quarrels and provoking troubles. He is also fined with 3.11 million yuan or a slight more than $480,000.
Sun Dawu’s company’s name is Hebei Dawu Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Group. Keeping up with a long name, the company also employs a large number of people which is around 9,000. The employees are engaged in different works including pet food products, poultry processing and other farming operations. Sun Dawu was famously known for speaking against the ruling party in China.
Sun was involved in a land dispute with a local government owned farm. Sun said that dozens of his employees were injured in a clash with police last year when they tried to stop the government farm’s people from attacking on one of its buildings.
The People’s Court of Gaobeidian found Sun guilty of, “gathering a crowd to storm state institutions, obstructing public service, picking quarrels and provoking troubles, disrupting production and operation, conducting coercive trade, illegal mining, illegal occupation of agricultural land, illegal absorption of public deposits”.
The Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) said that Sun is getting punished for raising his voice and supporting the human rights.
Sun Dawu has contributed a lot for the betterment of the people living in the rural areas in China. CHRD also said that was Sun was arrested with his wife and the adult children.
The ruling party made it clear that the private sector in China needs politically sensible people, the ones who would firmly support and listen to the party and not the ones disrespecting or opposing the Communist party’s decisions.
Sun Dawu who turned 67 said that he is ready to take all the charges on himself even if they are severe in return of letting the others go. He said that the way they are investigating the matter now is hurting people close to them. The suffering billionaire said on the behalf of his group, “We are people who have made contributions towards society.”
We hope that everything would be looked again properly and all the businessmen and citizens of China get the freedom to put front their views and do the business without government making too much of unneeded interference.
