Wearing dozens of medals around his neck and holding a poster which says "Rights Protection," a former world swimming champion stands in front of the remains of his villa to protest the "selective demolition" of his property, a post on a microblog showed on Sunday afternoon.

Chen Bin, a former world champion swimmer, told reporters that he spent most of his savings on purchasing a villa in Huadu District in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province as the house for his future family in 2007. Although the villa was unfinished, the developer told him it could be rebuilt in accordance with his wishes.

Chen pulled down the villa and decided to rebuild it in 2010, at which time local authorities refused to approve the construction.

However, Chen ignored the authorities and began rebuilding his house, as with the case of other homeowners who had already rebuilt their villas.

On January 30, 2011, the local Bureau of City Administration and Law Enforcement conducted a forced demolition on two villas, including Chen's, while the other illegally built houses were left untouched. 

Chen's mother has claimed that they did not receive any notice before the demolition.

Chen called it "selective demolition", saying "It is so unfair. What about the other illegal buildings?"

An inside source stated that those whose homes were not pulled down had bribed the authorities. 

Although the bureau denied accusations of "selective demolition," it has not explained why only two villas were demolished.