Update | Detained village chief at centre of land grab protests urges fellow residents to ‘do what is right’
Tensions continue to escalate in southern China’s Wukan after local leader Lin Zuluan is detained on suspicion of bribery, with fresh rallies planned for Tuesday
The village chief at the centre of protests over land seizures in southern China called on locals to do what they think is right even as authorities urged them to refrain from petitioning.
Tensions in the fishing village of Wukan in Guangdong province are running high as villagers consider how to win the release of Lin Zuluan, the local Communist Party secretary.
PROTESTS ENTER SECOND DAY
Lin was detained by police in the early hours of Saturday on suspicion of corruption, after he called on villagers to air their grievances over unresolved land disputes.
A statement released by Lufeng prosecutors on Monday said Lin had allegedly pocketed significant bribes through contracting out infrastructure projects. “Such behaviour is in breach of laws related to bribery,” the statement said.
But the villagers say Lin is innocent and plan to stage a rally on Tuesday to demand his release.
Zhong Wenguan, deputy mayor of Lufeng, said about 85 per cent of illegally seized land had been returned to Wukan villagers and the city government would follow up villagers’ claims over an area about 110,000 square metres.
Lin’s wife, Yang Zhen, has also been dragged into the affair. An official claiming to be from the Shanwei prosecutors’ office called her, and put Lin on the phone, apparently in the hope he would dissuade her from leading villagers in their protest, but the plan went awry. “Do what you think is right as long as it’s legal,” Lin told Yang over the phone, in a conversation she recorded. “If someone is trying to arrest you, do not go easy on them.”
But he also added: “Do not go to a protest just because others told you so.”
Wukan attracted headlines around the world five years ago after villagers staged a series of protests over land seizures. The local government allowed villagers to elect their own leaders, but residents say the disputes remain unresolved.
Thousands of villagers protested on Sunday, and hundreds on Monday signed huge white banners calling for Lin’s release. “We must press ahead with the protest. We believe Lin took the blame for us. He is innocent,” said a villager who asked not to be identified.
But some villagers said government pressure was increasing and they were having second thoughts about taking part in today’s march. At least six villagers had been summoned by police, and two were detained – Lin’s grandson Lin Liyi, 21, and deputy village director Cai Lichou, they said. The window of Lin’s office was broken but it was not clear whether anything was stolen.
Qian Hanpei, the deputy chief of Donghai town, scolded journalists who tried to interview him.
“You reporters are just like dogs,”Qian said when asked about Lin’s condition. He was also seen shoving their equipment away and striking them with an umbrella.
Deputy village party secretary Zhang Shuijin said he had been promoted to replace Linand asked villagers not to take part in the march.
In an editorial, Global Times said democratic or drastic action would not bring about any resolution of their grievances and only “lawful demands” should be met. “Disputes over property rights cannot be solved merely through democratic means,” it said.
