Crowd control - China style

[Double Barrel]

SIX DIE IN RURAL PROTEST

Shocking footage of crowd control 'Chinese-style' has been obtained by Sky News.

The film shows dozens of hired thugs running amok in a village just 60 miles from the capital Beijing.

Villagers are shown being beaten with long canes while gunfire can be heard in the background.

Six villagers are reported to have died while 50 were injured.

It is the worst footage of violence to emerge from the secretive country since the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.

The trouble broke out after the hired hands, some wearing helmuts and khakis, moved in to clear land needed by a nearby power station.

Villagers had built trenches and erected tents to protect their land.

The blurred footage shows hand-to-hand fighting between the assailants and the villagers.

At least one person is seen being shot dead.

The three-minute footage ends when the state's enforcers realise they are being filmed and chase the cameraman.

Dominic Waghorn, Sky's Asia correspondent, said: "These are the pictures China does its best to stop the rest of the world from seeing.

"But this time they have got out.

"It looks like a medieval battle but this is Chinese protest control in the 21st century."

The battle happened last Saturday in the village of Shengyou.

Villagers are reported to have overrun the local headquarters of the Community Party in protest.

Power station bosses are reported to have been negotiating with villagers to buy their land since 2003.

Local governments can chose to take the land and pay minimal compensation if the buyout is considered to be in the public interest.

Source

 

[Yom]

Better than what's happening in Ethiopia. Speaking of which, I should post a thread on it, since no one else has.

 

[RoddyVR]

Local governments can chose to take the land and pay minimal compensation if the buyout is considered to be in the public interest.

that law ofcourse moddeled after the US law of "emminent domain" i think its called. which does/sais the EXACT same thing.
government sais "we need to build a highway here, so we're taking your land. here's the $100,000 that its worth." then 3 months later "government short on cash, so selling excess lands. including your land we took a while back. bidding starts at $150,000"

 

[Bugfatty300]

A hug difference is that Americans can challenge the state in court.

And I doubt its 'modeled' after the American law. The same kind of law is actually found in most other countries and has been around forever.

 

[Rambuchan]

This is one reason how China manages it amazing economic miracle. It also doesn't give a damn for workers rights, health and safety etc. Unfortunately it's still going on all over the world.

 

[CruddyLeper]

Amazing how often "declared Communists" manage to massacre the workers they're supposed to protect.

Not saying any worse than Capitalist repression - but much more hypocritical.

Situation even worse in the UK - compulsory purchase orders cannot be challenged through the legal system. Although they are pretty rare these days.

What stops development far more often is a listed building. Which is usually torched by "vandals".

 

[Rambuchan]

Sorry to bring my habits to this thread but it is appropriate.

 

[Dann]

Yeah heard about this. The news here also reported on this (surprised?), and showed that the assailants were an unknown bunch. Not the army or the police.

"State enforcers"? Rather hard to pin this on the government I say. Not enough evidence.

More likely underworld thugs hired by those with vested interests. Could be anyone...

 

[stratego]

One of the thugs was captured, and he said he was paid $12 by the plant owner to beat up the farmers with clubs and hooks, but some brought shotguns because of fear that they would be overpowered by the farmer. But the local police was in cahoots with the plant owner so they didn't come until many hours later.

The farmers wanted the central government to investigate because they don't trust the local government.

 

[Dann]

Stuff like this has happened before, but never yet on so large a scale.

Not a good sign.

 

[CruddyLeper]

$12 goes a long way in China.

 

[Dann]

Yeah. Food for a week for one person (city standards, all restaurant food) costs less than that. If you buy meat and veggies and cook your own food $12 could feed you for a month here.

 

[OrpheusPrime]

They've got a hell of a system in China today. But what they lack in subtlety they more than make up for in sheer numbers and huge military arsenal.

 

[Richard Cribb]

This is one reason how China manages it amazing economic miracle. It also doesn't give a damn for workers rights, health and safety etc. Unfortunately it's still going on all over the world.

Right on spot.
It can't be written with huge enough letters how big a threat and challenge China represents for the international labour movement.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

It'll be social problems and disputes like this(as well as corruption issues etc) that will be capturing Beijing's full attention, rather than a military arms race with the US (discussed in the other thread).

The Chinese recognized this, and devoted much energy to it. The central govt at any rate. However the central govt is weaker than it used to be, their efforts are uncertain...

 

[CruddyLeper]

Considering the number of people it executes every year, I'd hate to see them when they are certain.

 

[OrpheusPrime]

Considering the number of people it executes every year, I'd hate to see them when they are certain.

lol, touche

 

[Nobody]

My TV said that although there werent goverment forces they probably paid by the local goverment.

 

[WS78]

I have to agree with Rambuchan to a certain degree, China has a poor reputation of worker's rights and safety. You may have heard about several mining accidents a couple of months ago that, wait... regularly over the few decades actually.

 

[Dann]

My TV said that although there werent goverment forces they probably paid by the local goverment.

Yes.

...China has a poor reputation of worker's rights and safety. You may have heard about several mining accidents a couple of months ago that, wait... regularly over the few decades actually.

Sadly, only too true. Lives are cheap here.