Blame for the massive riot in Huizhou this week should be pinned on brutal government security guards and not motorcycle-taxi drivers, legal experts said yesterday.
Cai Lihui, a professor at Sun Yat-sen University's School of Government in Guangzhou, said the confrontation was just the latest in a series of violent clashes and riots fomented by discontent over harsh treatment by the local authorities.
The riot was triggered after a motorcycle-taxi driver was allegedly beaten to death by security guards working for village authorities. But anger has been building among drivers for some time.
Many of these motorcycle drivers are from other provinces and often operate illegally. Guangdong authorities have blamed them for all sorts of social evils. Motorcycle taxis have been banned in major cities in the province, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan. Many who continue to operate in rural areas became the targets of extortion by security guards.
Professor Cai said the latest riot would prompt local authorities to rethink and revise the ban on motorcycles because it was poorly thought out and lacked strong public support.
He said most of the rioters in the Huizhou protest made a living by offering motorcycle-taxi services illegally, and anger among the drivers had been rising since 2006, when the ban came into effect.
Motorcycles were forced off the road to make way for cars and buses.
