According to the unlinkable SCMP, eight villagers were reportedly shot dead by Guangdong police on Tuesday when officers were sent in to break up a protest connected to, you guessed it, a land requisition dispute. Since then, police and government officials in Shanwei have refused to comment despite repeated attempts for confirmation. Here’s the quote of the week:
“It’s not a simple case, because in such a harmonious society, our armed police won’t presume to open fire on villagers,” a spokesman for Shanwei city government said. Officials from the Shanwei Public Security Bureau said they were “not clear” about the incident.
One villager said yesterday that his brother, Lin Yutui, 26, was among the victims shot by police during the protest:
“He died at the scene immediately because one bullet hit his heart and another his pelvis. We call on the central government to help us and allow overseas media to report what’s happened because local media won’t report our story,” the villager said.
Protesters are complaining that they received inadequate compensation for land taken from them to build a coal-fired power plant. Also, the villagers claim they will lose access to Baisha Lake if the construction goes ahead, adding they relied on the lake for fish and power generation.
Villager Huang Tingting, 16, said her parents and other villagers had tried to take local officials to court over the power plant project, but claimed that the legal channels had been blocked by the government.
1
By Sonagi
I wonder how much the outside world can assist peasants and workers struggling against government corruption and abuse. I also wonder how much urban middle-class Chinese are aware of or care about these kinds of stories.
December 8, 2005 @ 8:32 am | Comment
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By sun bin
as i said before, if they receive 1/10 the attention of the Xian nun……
December 8, 2005 @ 2:39 pm | Comment
3
By Ivan
As we all know, the Communist Party represents the People through the correct path of Socialism with Chinese characteristics and Mao-Ze-Dong thought!
Maybe if those villagers are sensible and move to the city they are not be shot so much. It can be very convenient when you enjoy your happy life under the Correct Leadership of the Communist Party!
Be calm and happy!
Ivan the Monotone Communist Pig
December 8, 2005 @ 7:51 pm | Comment
4
By Gordon
There was another incident before this one that seems to have gone unreported inShangdeng. I haven’t seen anything about it on ESWN yet, but I’m sure he’ll get around to it.
December 8, 2005 @ 8:23 pm | Comment
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By Martyn
I read in today’s scmp that the villagers in this incident were well prepared for the police as they hurled Molotov cocktails at them.
Re Sonagi’s points. The outside workld can do little apart from report it and contribute these stories to CCP’s reputation as a repressive and paranoid govt. Then again, it’s questionable what overall this will do as well.
I also think that most people here are concerned with their own lives generally and care little of anyone else’s. I would also say that they care even less about injustices – unless those injustices are against them personally.
December 9, 2005 @ 6:35 am | Comment
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By Laowai 19790204
It’s up on the nytimes. If you can’t get it, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/axu6v
December 9, 2005 @ 1:20 pm | Comment
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By dave
re:scmp report that villagers were ‘prepared.’
Do you think that molotov cocktails are standard protest equipment?
December 10, 2005 @ 8:50 pm | Comment