【新唐人2014年04月05日讯】广东茂名市政府周四下午突然召开记者会，记者会后，市政府外聚集的群众不断增加，到了晚上，现场多达两万人。市公安局副局长宣称，镇压骚乱时警方“误伤围观民众”并致歉，但是否认公安曾经打死人。
一则“由民众公投决定PX石化项目是否上马”的网络传闻，周四下午吸引茂名市上千名民众陆续聚集于茂名市委外。茂名市政府新闻办公室于同一时间，在市政府内举行事件发生以来的首次公开记者会。
市公安局副局长周沛洲说，3月30号事件处置过程中，执勤民警与聚集的人员确实发生了“擦碰”。他对镇压骚乱时误伤围观民众致歉，却否认公安打死人，还宣称有一个死者是死于交通意外。但当局承认最少拘留了18人。
据《自由亚洲之声》报导，由于记者会较原定时间提早了一天，又没有按照早前所宣布的方式—-“直播”进行，也没有按原定计划安排群众表达意见。再加上，民众认为记者会没有如实交代死伤人数，政府也没有答应取消PX项目，所以周四记者会后，市政府外聚集的群众不断增加，到晚上，现场多达两万人。
广州市民贾榀告诉《新唐人》，周四茂名的聚集相对平和，警方没有采取强硬手段。
广州市民贾榀：“2.54前几天的冲突很大。造成很严重后果。这次应该是在等上级，上级的批示。当地政府已经不敢再随便下令去镇压，以免事态进一步扩展，可能当地领导也在担心，万一事情控制不住了，上面有什么指责怪下来的话，他们也承担不起。”
广州资深民主人士范一平也援引茂名朋友的消息告诉《新唐人》，在茂名市一些路口，警方对进出来往车辆实行盘查，检查身份证。
广州民主人士范一平：“2.10大家现在在等市政府里面的决定。老百姓在外边围观等政府的消息。可能为了不给他增加镇压口实。老百姓表现的比较平静。但这只是一个表面的东西。如果市政府出来的答复或最终结论很重要，假如结论大家不满意，可能会引起新的抗争活动。”
茂名的抗议，前三天充满血腥。传说第一天死了三人，第二天死了八人。而当局否认警察打死人。香港《苹果日报》记者，找到周一凌晨在冲突现场身亡的17岁少年温万彬的家人。死者父亲冷淡的对记者说，儿子不是被打死，是骑电车遭警方拦截，出了所谓的“意外”。
范一平认为，死者父亲的这番话不能相信。
范一平：“5.18凡是他对外公开的东西，全部都是肯定被封口被买通的。这是彻底的惯用手法。因为这里所有的手法，你只要把这东西讲出去，到时候就不赔偿来威胁他。”
茂名副市长梁罗跃在新闻发布会上，指责抗议民众采取暴力手段。他说，在3月30号晚上，有人用石块、玻璃瓶袭击市委门口，在市区多个地方打砸沿街商铺、广告牌，纵火烧毁一辆执勤警车。
范一平认为，群众刚开始只是和平理性的请愿，是警方很快就作出弹压的措施，所以老百姓才有激烈的反应。
此外，范一平指出，茂名人民愤怒爆发不仅仅是因为PX项目，而是民怨长期积累的结果。他说，在广东，如顺德、南海、佛山、茂名等地，那些乡镇书记、村长、主任等，勾结开发商卖地，贪腐相当惊人，贪污数额不是几百万、几千万，而是十亿、八亿、甚至几十个亿。
范一平：“7.56茂名是一个贪腐的重灾区。全国出名。前两届的班子整个领导层全部已经烂掉。平时积累下来的民怨，还有因为贪腐造成对社会的危害的不满情绪非常多，已经有这个基础在这里，而不是说因为这个事情简单引起。”
据香港《明报》报导，周四下午群众包围市政府期间，官员邀请10多名民众代表入内“对话”，至傍晚约六点多，“对话”未达共识。当局表示，希望搜集民众对PX项目意见，民众则要求追究打人者的责任，以及释放被拘留的示威者。
到晚上七点半，公安用盾牌敲击地面，以所谓的“柔性”方式清场，民众才逐渐散去。
采访编辑/秦雪 后制/
Mass Protest Outside Maoming City Hall: Authorities Apologize For “Accidental Injuries."
Maoming City government in Guangdong Province
hosted a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
More and more people gathered
outside of the city government building.
Numbers reached over 20,000 people by the evening.
Maoming Public Security Bureau apologized that the
police “accidentally injured onlookers" during the clash.
It denied that police ever beat people to death.
Internet rumors discussing people voting for or against
PX chemical project attracted approximately 1000 people
to gather in front of the Maoming city government building.
Meanwhile, Maoming city government Press Office
hosted its first ever public press conference.
Zhou Peizhou, Deputy Director of Maoming Public Security
Bureau said there was indeed some “bumping" between
the police and protesters during the clashes on March 30.
He apologized for “accidentally injuring"
onlookers during the suppression.
However, he denied police beating anyone to death.
He also claimed that one person died from a car accident.
The authorities admitted detaining at least 18 people.
According to Radio Free Asia, the
press conference started a day early.
It didn’t allow live reporting during it’s announcements,
and didn’t give a chance for people to express opinions.
People believe that the government didn’t
release death toll and injury numbers truthfully.
They also didn’t discuss canceling the
PX chemical plant construction project.
Subsequently, more and more people began protesting
outside the city government building after the conference.
Protester numbers reached over 20,000 people that evening.
Jia Pin, a Guangzhou citizen, told NTD that
the protests on Thursday were peaceful.
On that occasion, the police didn’t take tough measures.
Jia Pin, Guangzhou citizen: “The clashes in the past few
days were large in scale, and with serious repercussions.
On this occasion, the police are probably
waiting for orders from higher level officials.
The local government doesn’t dare to
crackdown further, in case the situation worsens.
Probably the local government is also worried about being
blamed by higher levels if the situation gets out of control.
They can’t take responsibility.”
Fan Yiping, senior rights activist
in Guangzhou spoke to NTD.
Information from his friend in Maoming suggest police
are inspecting IDs of cars coming in and out of Maoming.
Fan Yiping, Guangzhou rights activist: “People
are waiting for decisions from the city government.
People are waiting outside of the government building.
The Chinese people are very peaceful, so as not to give
the government any excuse for launching a suppression.
However, it’s just a superficial thing.
The city government’s response is the most important. If
people are not satisfied with it, it may trigger new protests."
The protests during the first three
days in Maoming were bloody.
Sources indicate 3 people died on the first day,
and 8 people lost their lives on the second day.
But the local authority denied it.
Hong Kong’s Apple Daily interviewed the
father of 17 year-old Wen Wanshan, who
died early on Monday morning in Maoming.
The father told the reporter that his
son wasn’t beaten to death by police.
He reportedly had a “car accident" when the
police were trying to stop his electronic bike.
Fan Yiping believed the father’s words are unbelievable.
Fan Yiping: “Everything that’s released
to the public is sealed with bribery.
This is the method the government often uses.
Once this father tells the truth, the government
will threaten him with refusing any compensation."
During the press conference, Maoming
Vice Mayor Liang Luoyao condemned
some protesters for taking violent measures.
He said some people used stones and glass bottles
to attack the city government building on March 30.
He said that they smashed many stores,
billboards, and burned a police car.
Fan Yiping suggest that people petitioned in
a peaceful and rational way at the beginning.
However, police soon took violent action,
which triggered people’s strong response.
Fan Yiping indicated that the outrage in Maoming
is not only due to the PX construction project.
It is also due to long accumulated wider discontent in society.
Many local officials in cities in Guangdong
including Shunde, Nanhai, Foshan, and Maoming
have colluded with developers to sell off land.
Their corruption is shocking.
The amounts involved are not just millions or tens
of millions, but billions, and even several billions.
Fan Yiping: “Maoming has been hit hardest
by corruption. It’s notorious throughout China.
The first two sessions of leaders were all rotten.
Accumulated discontent, and government
corruption have formed a foundation for protests.
It’s not just simply because of the PX plant."
Hong Kong media Ming Pao reports officials invited
more than 10 citizen representatives to “a dialog."
This happened when people surrounded
the government building on Thursday.
The dialog lasted until after 6 p.m.,
but no consensus was made.
The local authority said it hoped to
collect public opinions over the PX project.
However, the people gathered to demand the authorities
to take responsibility over the violent crackdown.
They also request the release of detained protesters.
By 7:30 p.m., police used shields to hit the ground,
using a so-called “soft method “to clear the scene.
People gradually left.
