Petitioning (Chinese: 信访; pinyin: xìnfǎng, literally "letters and visits")[a] is the administrative system for hearing complaints and grievances from individuals in the People's Republic of China.
Petitioners who needed justice would come to the yamen of the county magistrate or high official and beat a drum to voice their grievances.
[2] The petitions can take many forms, including phone calls, faxes, visits or even e-mails to any government office with regard to any of the issues.
[9] Provincial capitals have been accused of hiring people in Beijing to abduct petitioners who have travelled from their areas and force them to go back home; this is known as "intercepting."
[10] Human rights organizations have accused Chinese authorities of arbitrarily imprisoning large numbers of petitioners in black jails or other illicit detention facilities.