One killed as villagers riot over quake fund
One person died and nearly a dozen were injured in a riot in earthquake-hit Mianyang, Sichuan province, as hundreds of rural residents clashed with police during a protest over disaster relief funds, villagers and a rights group say.
This was the first reported riot over alleged misuse of relief funds for earthquake-hit Sichuan.
A resident from Baolin town in Mianyang yesterday said the authorities had sent in 'hundreds of armed police and dozens of police cars' to the area after the Wednesday riot to prevent further protests. Police checkpoints were set up on all main roads linking the town centre with nearby villages, he said.
'They blocked the main roads and would check everyone coming in and going out,' said the resident, who lives near the township government building.
'The villagers are still very angry over the lack of transparency as to how our relief funds are being used. The money is given to us by the central government or donated by kind-hearted people overseas.'
Locals claim the town has diverted funds so it can build a highway.
A worker at the information office of An county, which oversees Baolin, yesterday confirmed a riot had taken place, but refused to provide details. A policeman at Baolin station said the riot ended on Thursday.
The Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said the riot had started when 2,000 residents of Youngquan village tried to block a main road. They demanded the township government pay them 2,000 yuan (HK$2,300) in relief funds that central authorities had promised.
The township sent police to disperse the crowd, and three villagers were taken away. One of those detained died in police custody. The authorities failed to explain the cause of his death, the news of which triggered a large riot.
The centre said 2,000 villagers stormed the station. One police vehicle and station facilities were destroyed. Local authorities called in more than 1,000 armed police from nearby areas, it said. About 10 villagers were injured in clashes with armed police, and two had to be sent to hospital.
The May 12 quake killed nearly 90,000 people and devastated an area roughly the size of South Korea.
The resident said dozens of residents of Yongquan village were being held by police on charges of disturbing public order.
A villager from Dasha village said the riot was caused by the township's decision to deduct 2,000 yuan from the relief fund designated to each family. The local government told the villagers they needed the money to build a new highway.
'We are all earthquake victims. We really need the money to repair our broken homes right now. How come the officials could seize our relief fund for other purposes?' the villager said.
The National Audit Office said more than 128 billion yuan was allotted by Beijing and 31 provinces to provide relief to millions of quake victims, who lost their homes.
However, nearly 1.4 billion yuan worth of disaster relief funds have been embezzled, while 162 government officials have been under investigation, a report released by the office at the end of last year said.
