Forced Cremation Policy in Hubei’s Suizhou Sparks Protests

A Chinese woman praying at the grave of a loved one at the Babaoshan cemetery in Beijing to mark the annual Qing Ming (Ching Ming) Festival or grave-sweeping day. Visiting the graves of ancestors during Qing Ming. Photo credit should read STR/AFP via Getty Images

In Suizhou, Hubei Province, the city of Guangshui has ignited fury among its residents due to its stringent enforcement of a mandatory cremation and public cemetery policy since March. The controversial measure spurred a three-day uproar in Changling Town, with thousands taking to the streets demanding its retraction.

Mr. Ding (pseudonym), a resident and participant in the protests, said there was significant turnout, including the involvement of numerous elderly citizens from Changling Town and neighboring areas. The demonstrations, which commenced on May 1, witnessed a surge of support from residents incensed by the policy’s implications.

“The anger was palpable,” Mr. Ding said, highlighting a tense encounter between protesters and local officials, including the mayor and law enforcement personnel.

“There were about 350 police officers dispatched by the authorities, but no major conflicts occurred,” Mr. Ding told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times.

The policy, issued by the Suizhou government on Jan. 4, mandates strict adherence to cremation and public cemetery usage, effective March 20. Under this directive, traditional burials are forbidden, and couples faced with the death of a spouse before or after the specified date are barred from joint interment.

In-ground burial has been a historical culture and custom for the Chinese. They believe it is a way to ensure the deceased rest in peace. However, the public cemetery under the Communist regime requires the remains to be cremated and left inside an individual compartment arranged on top of a concrete aisle.

Residents like Mr. Ding question the necessity of such measures in a region where land availability is not a pressing concern. “This time, everyone is united,” he expressed, emphasizing the collective stand for the dignity of the elderly.

Ms. Chen (pseudonym), a protest participant, spoke of the despair among the elderly community preceding the policy’s implementation.

She expressed her disbelief at the officials’ decision to deny local traditions and cultural practices.

During the protest, some elderly people lay on the ground and said, “You can run over me. I'll die in the hands of the communists anyway,” according to Mr. Ding.

The Cremation-Cemetery Business

Moreover, suspicions of corruption loom over the coercive cremation and cemetery scheme.

Multiple Chinese media reported that 270 million yuan ($37.37 million) was invested in cemetery infrastructure, citing a report by the local media, Suizhou Daily. The reports raised concerns about profiteering and exploitation among Suizhou’s predominantly agrarian populace. 

The cemeteries charge a one-time fee for 20 years of management and maintenance fees, plus cemetery construction costs. The local government claimed the preliminary calculations show that the cost would be no more than 3,000 yuan ($415), 4,000 yuan ($554), and 10,000 yuan ($1,384) for a single grave in a village, township, and county-level cemeteries, respectively.

Suizhou is a fifth-tier mountainous city, and the majority of farmers are not wealthy. Mr. Ding said that rural elderly people in the area only receive a monthly pension of just over 100 yuan ($13.84).

Chinese blog Weiquanwang, or Rights Protection Network, reported that local residents contend that this constitutes blatant profiteering and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals through what is being termed “deathbed real estate.” With properties currently stagnating on the market, the once prosperous land-based economy struggles to maintain its foothold. Officials, believing themselves astute, have purportedly identified a business opportunity in the aging population, shockingly viewing it as a chance to exploit farmers. This morally bankrupt notion of “deathbed real estate” has emerged as a result, read the Weiquanwang report.

Mr. Ding, citing flooding issues plaguing existing cemeteries, voiced community dissatisfaction and shared anecdotes of families grappling with the indignity of submerged graves. Such grievances underscore a broader sentiment of disillusionment with the authorities’ handling of the situation.

“A protester said that his mother was cremated on April 30, but on May 1, they found the cemetery flooded with water.

“Many people complained about similar situations in other cemeteries,” Mr. Ding said, “It’s like imprisoning the deceased in water.”

Ms. Chen also said, “Thinking that my mother worked hard all her life, and now she’s soaking in water after death, … it’s been really sad for me these days.”

Amid escalating tensions, inquiries into the government’s response yield scant clarity.

Ms. Chen believes that the authorities have turned cremation into an industry chain, stipulating that suburban residents cannot hold funeral ceremonies at home and must go to designated places with stiff prices.

She remarked, “At the time of cremation, a floral wreath costs 200 yuan ($27.68). The bill must be paid before cremation; otherwise, it will be postponed. The transportation services from the funeral parlor cost approximately 330 yuan ($45.68). The final total is roughly 1,000 yuan ($138.41). Notably, the cemetery offers complimentary services for the initial year, followed by obligatory annual payments.”

Local residents worry that continuous management will require ongoing payments and wonder what will happen if their descendants stop paying.

The outcry has reverberated across Chinese social media platforms and drawn criticism from mainstream publications like The Beijing News. One Beijing News commentary lambasted the local government’s heavy-handed approach, urging a nuanced approach to funeral reforms that respects cultural heritage and individual autonomy.

The commentary emphasized that funeral reforms have many starting points, and there is a legacy of customs spanning thousands of years. While promoting cremation is necessary, it should not be forced on people with simple and crude methods. In particular, it shouldn’t use the banner of social progress to play tricks on the “market” of funerals, read the commentary.

The Epoch Times called the Civil Affairs Bureau of Guangshui City, which confirmed that the matter was real and had been handled, but it couldn’t provide specific details about how it was handled.

The Changling Town government and the Guangshui Public Security Bureau could not be reached.

In a follow-up call to Mr. Ding, he said, “Regarding cremation, they’ve only said it’s under process. But no specific detail about how it will be handled has been given.”

Li Muen contributed to this report.