Land laws have to be taken seriously
Mainland authorities have long been aware that the land development policy is not working. Riots by villagers in Guangdong last month are the latest evidence of its failure. The protests that started in Wukan and spread to nearby villages were the result of simmering discontent over unresolved claims that officials illegally seized and sold collectively held property. It is a common complaint in rural areas, yet there has been a reluctance to take the steps necessary to overhaul the flawed system.
Instead of reviewing and rethinking the policy, authorities have opted to tweak it. The State Council has issued numerous regulations in recent years to ban the forced relocation of farmers from their land. Rules stipulate that proper compensation must be paid, but a lack of enforcement, and corruption, inevitably get in the way. When villagers are offered at best inadequate compensation, frustration understandably turns to anger.
The nine-month-old regulation aimed at curbing illegal evictions has been so ineffective that authorities have been forced to crack down on officials who have flouted the rules. They have so far netted 57, of whom 31 were allegedly involved in 11 cases that led to violence, riots and deaths. But laws have not always been broken, as there are loopholes. Regulations only cover buildings on state-owned land, while the majority of disputes involve land that is collectively owned, as at Wukan.
An investigation has been promised in Wukan, where villagers claim officials colluded with developers to steal hundreds of hectares of farmland. A mechanism to lodge and hear complaints is in place, but their concerns were ignored. It is little wonder that four days of riots broke out. Laws and regulations are of little use unless they are followed and enforced. Where livelihoods are involved, it is especially important that grievances are properly and fairly heard and dealt with.
But that is only part of the solution: there will continue to be disquiet as long as there are officials intent on growth, local governments dependent on land sales for revenue and developers hungry for profits. Such a combination in a thriving economy is bound to lead to rights and protections being eroded. And that does not even take into account greed and rampant corruption.
Wukan's villagers have been told not to talk to journalists while the investigation and negotiations are under way. If there had been a free media, though, it is less likely that they would have been forced to confront officials in the first place. Whatever the outcome, laws cannot be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. They have to be robust, all-embracing and taken seriously.
