A long, unpaved rural path leads to a besieged village named Wukan, located in Shanwei city in Guangdong Province. A formerly sleepy coastal fishing village of 13,000 residents about 150 km from Hong Kong, it had never been visited before by foreigners.
Now it is the center of international attention, raising questions whether it could be the spark for wider protests by dispossessed and angry villagers across China. It appears to be first time in decades that the Chinese Communist Party has completely lost control over its territory. The villagers were furious about the expropriation of their farmland by officials for personal benefit disguised as so-called “real estate development” by what is said to be a Hong Kong-based property developer.
The villagers say they only want their land back and for justice to be done after the murder of one of their leaders. They also say they want a fair and transparent election to replace the ousted officials and police, who they drove out on Dec. 10, leaving it unattended. That doesn't bother the residents. A temporary village committee has been established for self-governance. A few dozen villagers keep guard 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at the entrance, which is surrounded by a heavy police presence. The villagers, however, have blocked the main road with tree trunks and branches to defend against police intrusion following a series of incidents. Full story...
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Now it is the center of international attention, raising questions whether it could be the spark for wider protests by dispossessed and angry villagers across China. It appears to be first time in decades that the Chinese Communist Party has completely lost control over its territory. The villagers were furious about the expropriation of their farmland by officials for personal benefit disguised as so-called “real estate development” by what is said to be a Hong Kong-based property developer.
The villagers say they only want their land back and for justice to be done after the murder of one of their leaders. They also say they want a fair and transparent election to replace the ousted officials and police, who they drove out on Dec. 10, leaving it unattended. That doesn't bother the residents. A temporary village committee has been established for self-governance. A few dozen villagers keep guard 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at the entrance, which is surrounded by a heavy police presence. The villagers, however, have blocked the main road with tree trunks and branches to defend against police intrusion following a series of incidents. Full story...
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