One dead, scores injured in China land brawl: witnesses

AFP

12 01 2010

BEIJING — One person was killed and scores injured last week as police clashed with villagers in eastern China over the forced eviction of farmers from rural lands, residents and a human rights group said Tuesday.

The violence began last Thursday when about 100 hired thugs beat farmers who had resisted eviction in the city of Pizhou in Jiangsu province, the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said.

It said the farmers from Hewan village had refused to move off lands where local authorities want to build a chemical plant.

« One woman was killed and another woman was severely injured by dozens of thugs hired by the township government, » a Hewan resident who gave only his surname, Yang, told AFP by phone.

The rights group also quoted local sources as saying a woman was killed.

On Friday, up to 2,000 angry villagers descended on government offices in Pizhou to protest over the issue, locals told AFP by phone.

« The whole village came to the city, at least 2,000 people, they were very vocal and angry, » said a woman who witnessed the protest.

She said riot police began beating the protesters, injuring many. She refused to identify herself, saying she feared official retribution.

The rights group said about 200 police officers armed with clubs clashed with the protesters, leaving up to 50 people wounded.

AFP calls to Pizhou’s government and police on Tuesday went unanswered.

China has seen a rash of violent clashes over land across the country recently, many sparked by forced evictions as officials and property developers seek to cash in on a soaring real estate market.

The government, which views social unrest as a major threat to the nation’s stability, has responded by calling for authorities to take steps to cool the property market.

Local villagers have posted photos on the Internet showing large crowds protesting in Pizhou as well as documents related to the land dispute.

Authorities have since sent teams to persuade villagers not to protest, while police have tightened security in the area, said Yang, the Hewan resident.

江苏邳州村民因保地示威遭镇压

大纪元 epochtimes.com

【大纪元1月12日讯】(美国之音2010年 1月 12日报导)中国江苏邳州市征地导致日前发生流血事件。该市运河镇河湾村村民因捍卫农田遭百名打手袭击，导致人员伤亡。村民前往邳州市游行，跟警察发生冲突，50名村民受伤。

*村民指镇村干部纠集黑社会害人*

本月7号，邳州市运河镇河湾村村民怀疑运河镇党委书记纠集百名打手强征土地，事件中一名年轻村民被害，另有一人重伤。

中国人权民运信息中心的消息说，运河镇党委书记娄存瑞极力向河湾村施压，要村民以2000万人民币的价格将该村300亩良田出售给徐州海天石化公司，但村民不同意。

有许多中国网民在博客和论坛上，发布和传播了这个消息，并刊登出了多幅现场的示威和请愿的照片。不过，中国官方和许多新闻网站，已将这个一消息和相关讨论删除。

*一死一伤引发示威游行*

1月7号下午100多名打手在河湾存将守护农田的年轻村民李冬冬用刀刺死，他年仅22岁，生前已经准备好新房，计划月内结婚。另一名村民李卫南腹部被打手连刺三刀，生命危在旦夕，仍在医院抢救。

死伤事件导致运河镇村民强烈不满，村民认为是由镇、村干部组织黑社会人员制造的死伤恶性事件，在当地引起一片哗然。

8号上午近千名村民打着横幅到邳州市中心游行示威。当晚村民抬着李冬冬的尸体冲击市委，并高呼市委书记李连玉下台。民众和从徐州调来的200名特警发生冲突，特警抢走了尸体，抢尸中造成50名村民受伤。

*要求李连玉下台，警民发生冲突*

目前邳州当局不仅封锁了消息，还调动数百名特警封锁交通要道，防止再次出现示威。

2007年李连玉在北京参加十七大回到当地，受到邳州各行业各单位人员数十里“夹道欢迎”，风光无限，被网民称为史上最牛市委书记。事后他本人坚称欢迎队伍是人们自愿组织起来的。

Informations

Pizhou (邳州) est une ville de la province du Jiangsu en Chine. C’est une ville-district placée sous la juridiction de la ville-préfecture de Xuzhou. La population du district était de 1 527 377 habitants en 1999

~ par Alain Bertho sur 13 janvier 2010.

Publié dans émeutes, riots, 暴防