He is now the most famous fugitive in China.
At 55, Ou Jinzhong has escaped the police since Wednesday, October 13, accusing him of killing his neighbors.
A manhunt that fascinates Chinese Internet users and has turned into a highly political topic of discussion online, to the displeasure of the authorities, say several media, including the American channel CNN.
The police in the province of Funjian - in western China, and facing the territory of Taiwan - did not expect that a seemingly banal news item would take on such a scale.
Rich neighbors with little understanding
Ou Jinzhong is officially accused of having, on October 10, killed his 70-year-old neighbor, the latter's daughter-in-law, and injured the wife of the septuagenarian as well as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the newspaper said. Beijing News.
At first, the authorities gave no further information on the circumstances of the death of the two victims.
But soon after, local police had to confirm rumors that were starting to swell on Chinese social media - including Weibo - that this was the tragic outcome of a lengthy property dispute between the prime suspect and the family of the victims.
Ou Jinzhong's misadventures quickly went viral on the Chinese Internet.
They were perceived there "by millions of Internet users" as a metaphor for the class struggle and the corruption of local authorities, at a time of "common prosperity" desired by Chinese President Xi Jinping, CNN notes.
Since 2017, Ou Jinzhong had been looking to build a house for himself and his mother.
He had his old home demolished after obtaining a building permit from the local government.
But his neighbors have consistently managed to prevent him from laying the foundation stone, reports the South China Morning Post.
In 2019, Ou Jinzhong then decides to build a makeshift shelter while waiting for a possible authority to come to his aid.
And the photo of this tin shack, located right next to the luxurious multi-story villa that the family of recalcitrant neighbors were able to build for themselves, has made the rounds on Chinese social media.
Internet users were quick to find the digital traces of Ou Jinzhong on Weibo, the platform on which the 50-year-old recounted his futile efforts to make local authorities aware of his sad plight. "Hello Mr. Mayor of Putian (city where the drama took place, editor's note), I'm not very educated, but if you see this message, could you help us get out of this situation?" he had thus written. "Shouldn't the government protect ordinary people? Why are the rich being so sure of themselves? Could someone tell me who I can talk to? I have already sent some letters to municipal and provincial authorities, "Ou Jinzhong complained in January 2021.
As they continued to dig into the fugitives' digital past, Chinese netizens discovered that he had saved a child from drowning thirty years ago, and that residents of the neighborhood where he lived described him as a "simple and honest" citizen. , tells the Chinese news site Inf.news.
What about the "common prosperity" dear to Xi Jinping?
"A normal society should not push an honest citizen to such a degree of despair that he finds himself committing crimes. If this individual had exhausted all legal remedies to be heard, without success, one should not be concerned. to be surprised that his way of doing justice arouses sympathy, "summed up a Weibo user on October 14.
The authorities' first reaction only reinforced the impression among Chinese internet users that Ou Jinzhong was as much guilty as a victim.
The police have indeed promised a bonus of 20,000 yuan (2,680 euros) for any information leading to the capture of the suspect and another reward of 50,000 yuan (6,700 euros) for proof of Ou Jinzhong's death, tells the South China Morning Post.
"Isn't there a desire to silence him?" Asks a user, quoted by the Hong Kong daily.
The rain of criticism against this two-speed bounty prompted authorities to withdraw it, claiming that it had been misunderstood.
But the damage was done.
The affair is, indeed, the worst effect for the Chinese regime.
She recalls that despite the vast campaign against corruption and the incompetence of provincial officials led since 2012 by Xi Jinping, there are still local officials who do not seem up to their task.
It also gives the impression that the wealthy Chinese can afford anything to the detriment of the poorest, at a time when Xi Jinping wants to promote his concept of "common prosperity", a policy aimed at giving the impression of a better succeeding China. distribute the fruits of growth in order to reduce inequalities.
The authorities were therefore quick to start the machine to censor social networks. Ou Jinzhong's profile and the history of all these messages have been erased on Weibo, while the most critical comments from Internet users about the police or the provincial government have also disappeared from the Chinese social network.
The mainstream media in Beijing have also set in motion.
The very influential China Youth Daily, the official organ of the Chinese Communist Youth, recalled in an editorial that it should not be forgotten that Ou Jinzhong was suspected of having murdered two people.
However, the newspaper acknowledged that it was "important to understand the circumstances" of the tragedy.
He also indicates that an investigation has been opened into the possible "inaction" of the authorities in the face of the fugitive's repeated requests during all these years.
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