December 14, 2011
Chinese Village Locked in Rebellion Against Authorities
By ANDREW JACOBS
BEIJING — A long-running dispute between farmers and local officials in southern China exploded into open rebellion this week after villagers chased away government leaders, set up roadblocks and began arming themselves with homemade weapons, residents said.
The conflict in Wukan, a coastal settlement in the country’s booming industrial heartland in Guangdong Province, escalated on Monday after residents learned that one of the representatives they had selected to negotiate with the local Communist Party had died in police custody. The authorities say a heart attack killed the 42-year-old man, but relatives say his body bore signs of torture.
Spasms of social unrest in China have become increasingly common, a reflection of the widening income gap and deepening unhappiness with official corruption and an unresponsive justice system.
But the clashes in Wukan, which first erupted in September, appear to be unusual for their longevity — and for the brazenness of the participants.