Chine : émeutes et gouvernance août 2008

Chine: officiels renvoyés après les émeutes dans une usine de caoutchouc

2008-09-05

KUNMING, 5 septembre (Xinhua) — Deux officiels locaux ont été renvoyés pour manquement au devoir suite aux émeutes dans une usine de caoutchouc du district de Menglian, qui ont fait deux morts et plusieurs blessés, selon une réunion du Comité du Parti communiste chinois (PCC) pour la province du Yunnan jeudi.

Hu Wenbin, secrétaire du Comité du PCC pour le district de Menglian, a été démis de ses fonctions pour manquement au devoir. Il a en effet menti à propos des conflits d’intérêt entre les cultivateurs de caoutchouc et l’usine, déclarant qu’il s’agissait de problèmes de sécurité complotés par des criminels locaux. Il a également été découvert que Hu utilisait un SUV de luxe fourni par cette usine.

C’est la négligeance de Hu qui a entraîné l’escalade des conflits.

Xie Pikun, secrétaire du Comité des affaires judiciaires du Comité du PCC pour la ville de Pu’er, a également dû démissionner, en raison de son incompétence après les émeutes.

Les émeutes se sont produites le 19 juillet, lorsque la police a affronté des villageois au cours d’une enquête sur les conflits entre les cultivateurs de caoutchouc et l’usine.

Attaquée par plus de 400 personnes, la police a été contrainte d’ouvrir le feu. Deux personnes ont été tuées et 13 autres résidents et 41 policiers ont été blessés dans cet incident. Plusieurs voitures de police ont été endommagées.

Civil Society Report: Mass Incidents in China. At a time of social conflict, little contradictions can trigger mass unrest

28 août 2008

Recently, a series of mass incidents took place in China. These incidents demonstrate some of the social conflicts within China. First there was the « Weng’an Incident » on June 28, 2008

During this event a police station and a county government office building in Guizhou province were assaulted and torched by the local populace. The chaos started in Weng’an County when people who were dissatisfied with the investigation into the death of a local student gathered at the county government offices and the public security bureau.

While officials were handling the case, some people unfamiliar with the exact context of the event surrounded the police station and the office buildings of the county government and Communist Party Committee. The protesters smashed and torched many offices and some cars. The chaos lasted for seven hours and involved thousands of people.[1]

Second was the « Fugu Incident » on July 3. A driver of a farm vehicle in Fugu, Shanxi jumped into the Yellow River to avoid being checked for traffic violations by the police. Local authorities fished his body out of the river two days later, and were then pursued by angry kin of the dead man, who demanded to know why they were not told of the discovery of the body and demanded to have control of the corpse. The two sides struggled over the body, which attracted many spectators and evolved into a clash between villagers and the police.[2]

Third, the « Huizhou Incident » on July 16. During this incident more than 100 people attacked police officers over the controversial death of a motorcycle driver in Huizhou, Guangdong. The driver’s family members said that he was beaten to death by the security guards of Shangnan Village, but local police were told that he died from a traffic accident. The unrest lasted from early morning to 1 pm. Seven members of the group, which had also overturned a police wagon and raided a police station, were arrested.[3]

Fourth was the « Menglian Incident ». On July 19, rubber farmers attacked police who had been sent to arrest alleged instigators in a conflict with rubber plant managers in Menglian, Yunnan. Forty officers were injured and eight police vehicles were burned during the conflict and two farmers were shot dead by riot police.[4]

We can identify several common characteristics in these incidents: first, they were all caused by accidents, without personal petition, administrative litigation or other legal process. All of the events happened suddenly, and rapidly escalated into conflicts. Second, there was no definite organizer of the events. Most of the participants had no direct relationship to the original incident. The participants sought to defend the weak against the strong and express their dissatisfaction with what they perceived as unfair official actions.

Their main reason for participating was to vent their frustration at local authorities. Third, during the occurrence and development of these incidents, information dissemination had new traits; the rapid flow of information through networks has played a very important role. Fourth, the beating, smashing, looting, burning and other criminal acts arounsed in these incidents, which not only caused property losses to the state, the collective, and the individual, but also had a negative social impact.[5]

These mass incidents are generally thought to be caused by several factors. First, the widening gap between rich and poor. The gap includes not only income inequality, but also other factors such as access to education. The mass incidents demonstrate a strong dissatisfaction with these inequalities. Second, bureaucracy and corruption cause tension between cadres and the populace.

Some local cadres don’t listen to the voice of the masses and demonstrate an indifference to their plight. Little grievances gradually evolve into large ones, which then trigger mass incidents. Third, the legal rights and protections provided to the populace have been strengthened recently but popular awareness of the law is still weak. They want to pursue equality and protect their rights, but they don’t know how to express their dissatisfaction by lawful means.

Thus the protests seem to be the only way to achieve their goals. Finally, since China has opened up, the social and economic systems have changed dramatically. However, the management and work systems are still very similar to those used in the planned economy system. The populace sees no other method to address their grievances except through mass action.[6]

In a time with so much social conflict, little contradictions can trigger mass unrest, affecting the whole society. If such incidents cannot be solved properly, both society and the whole country will pay a heavy price

Conflicts raise the alarm with local government

14 août 2008

The Vice Party Secretary of Puer City‘s Menglian County said that the government will make local people’s interests its top priority. He made the announcement on July 23, four days after the « 7.19 » incident.

On July 19, more than 500 rubber farmers from Menglian, Yunnan Province, engaged in conflict with 58 policemen, resulting in two dead and 60 injured. The angry farmers surrounded policemen and attacked them, forcing the police to open fire in their defense.

According to Li Jiheng, vice Party secretary of Yunnan Province, the farmers were angered by the fact that the government had failed to act in a timely fashion to resolve issues between rubber companies and the farmers.

Yu Jianrong, a researcher from the Rural Affairs Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: « Villagers will quickly lose control when the government does not act upon their concerns. »

The Menglian riot is not an isolated incident. From June 28 to June 29, crowds of local people rioted against the government of Wen’an County, Guizhou Province, demanding to know the real cause of a girl student’s death. In addition, on July 3, a farmer drowned in the Yellow River when he dived into the river to avoid police questioning. His death caused a riot in Fugu County, Shaanxi Province.

Professor Xia Xueluan from the Department Sociology of Peking University, said: « The government cannot afford to neglect social problems. It should tackle with them quickly so that minor problems don’t develop into major ones. »

According to Xia, the government should not send in the police as a first resort whenever problems occur. This will create the impression that people are being suppressed.

Above all, public faith in the government is the important issue. Yu Jianrong said the government should improve communication with the public, and in cases of conflict let the public know the truth before rumors take hold and fan the flames.

(China.org.cn by Wu Jin, August 14, 2008)

Official dismissed for SW China county unrest

2008-08-09

KUNMING, Aug.9 (Xinhua) — A Chinese official was removed from his Party secretary post, nearly 20 days after unrest in his county, according to the Pu’er City government in the southwest Yunnan Province on Friday.

Hu Wenbin, chief of the Menglian County Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was responsible for the unrest on July 19 that killed two and injured 50-plus others, said Gao Xusheng, the CPC chief of Pu’er City. He admitted causes for the unrest were complicated.

« But Hu and other township officials cannot sidestep their responsibilities, » Gao stressed.

He said a work team was sent out to probe the unrest to find if there is any corruption activities behind the incident.

Police were attacked by around 500 rubber farmers with knives, steel tubes and bars while attempting to arrest five suspects in asocial security raid in Mengma Town, Menglian County.

In total, 41 police were injured and eight police cars damaged. Police had to use riot guns for self-defense. Fifteen farmers were injured and two died.

The unrest was initially caused by interests disputes between rubber farmers and a local rubber company. Farmers said the private company had infringed their interests and thus attacked the company many times.

Police were trying to arrest the five key people in the attacks but were attacked by farmers.