https://www.scmp.com/rss/256522/feed Wukan, a village of 20,000 in southern China’s Guangdong province, received international media attention after its residents staged a series of protests against the local government, accusing its officials of corruption and taking their farmland. The protests led to a three-month standoff that ended peacefully in December 2011 after central government representatives agreed to dismiss officials, redistribute land and allow for an election. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com After five years as Guangdong’s Communist Party boss, Hu Chunhua made his first trip last week to a village at the centre of a crackdown on grass-roots democracy. Hu, a Politburo member, is a front runner for higher office at the national party congress later this year and analysts said his high-profile trip to Wukan on Thursday and Friday was meant to bolster his prospects for ­promotion. Wukan, a fishing village of just 13,000 people, made international headlines in 2011 when a long-running... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2086240/guangdong-communist-boss-goes-ground-zero-grass-roots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2086240/guangdong-communist-boss-goes-ground-zero-grass-roots?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 23:01:57 +0000 Because of repeated clashes with authority, the remote eastern Guangdong fishing village of Wukan has become identified with land-rights issues on the mainland. Wukan came to prominence in 2011 with images of police lines confronting villagers protesting against local officials over alleged official bribery and illegal land grabs. This led to intervention by the provincial government to end the stand-off. The subsequent introduction of historic free elections for village leaders was supposed to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2058046/harsh-sentences-wukan-protesters-could-backfire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2058046/harsh-sentences-wukan-protesters-could-backfire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Dec 2016 18:46:43 +0000 Nine Guangdong villagers have been jail for up to 10 years for taking part in protests in September in a community once seen as a symbol of grass-roots democracy in China. Villagers in Wukan, 170km northeast of Hong Kong, expressed frustration over the sentencing, which critics said was a warning to others not to stage similar demonstrations. The nine jailed villagers did not organise the protests, but were among the more ­vocal participants, one resident in his 20s said, refusing to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2057407/china-jails-nine-over-protests-guangdong-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2057407/china-jails-nine-over-protests-guangdong-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Dec 2016 06:00:00 +0000 The chief of a Guangdong village that made headlines five years ago over land protests on Wednesday renounced his confession to taking bribes. Former Wukan village chief Lin Zuluan withdrew his confession during a hearing into his appeal against a 37-month sentence and 200,000 yuan (HK$230,000) fine handed down last month by a Chancheng district court in Foshan. China ramps up security as Wukan village chief Lin Zuluan jailed, fined for bribery In his trial last month, Lin confessed to taking... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2027376/convicted-wukan-village-chief-renounces-confession?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2027376/convicted-wukan-village-chief-renounces-confession?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Oct 2016 07:15:45 +0000 Police authorities in Guangdong have denied officers were violent towards five Hong Kong journalists detained in Wukan last week, claiming they carried out law ­enforcement duties in a “civilised” manner. Addressing the incident for the first time, the public security ­bureau of Lufeng, which administers the coastal village, said media reports that police had “slapped, punched and pushed journalists to the ground” were “inconsistent with the facts”, the China News Service reported on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2020299/police-deny-violence-against-hong-kong-journalists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2020299/police-deny-violence-against-hong-kong-journalists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Sep 2016 14:30:15 +0000 As the situation in the coastal Guangdong village of Wukan remains tense amid an ongoing police lockdown over land grab protests, a plethora of information has been circulating online about what’s going on there. This week, Lufeng city police said four internet users had been detained or punished for spreading rumours or exaggerating facts. “Individual netizens deliberately exaggerated facts, fabricated rumours or edited old photos and treated them as scenes presently happening in Wukan,” police... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019961/separating-fact-fiction-chinas-wukan-crackdown-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019961/separating-fact-fiction-chinas-wukan-crackdown-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2016 03:00:15 +0000 Residents in the coastal village of Wukan in Guangdong remained tense on Thursday amid an ongoing police lockdown, with some ­families separated on an otherwise festive day. Local authorities also stepped up control over reporting out of the village, with five Hong Kong journalists, including one from the South China Morning Post, detained overnight and forced out in the early morning. Police step up manhunt for Wukan protesters, but governor denies crackdown Special police have started to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019811/security-squads-keep-tight-grip-wukan-village-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019811/security-squads-keep-tight-grip-wukan-village-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Sep 2016 18:00:00 +0000 News images of conflict this week suggest little has changed in the four or five years since the remote fishing village of Wukan in eastern Guangdong was first in the headlines. In one picture, a line of police behind riot shields forms the background to a violent standoff over land rights, with villagers claiming police used rubber bullets and tear gas as they protested the jailing of their elected chief and other arrests. If that sounds familiar, it is because in 2011-12 similar protests,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2019818/protests-wukan-show-need-conciliation-not-coercion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2019818/protests-wukan-show-need-conciliation-not-coercion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Sep 2016 17:15:15 +0000 Security officers continued their manhunt for protesters in Wukan in Guangdong province following a violent stand-off that saw tear gas and rubber bullets fired at ­residents, according to locals. Few residents ventured ­outdoors on Wednesday as paramilitary officers equipped with shields and helmets marched in formation and stood guard on every ­corner. Guangdong’s governor ­denied a crackdown had occurred in Wukan, where residents have staged a years-long campaign against illegal land... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019453/police-hunt-suspects-wukan-after-bloody-stand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019453/police-hunt-suspects-wukan-after-bloody-stand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Sep 2016 16:15:15 +0000 Over the past five years, protests in the remote village of Wukan, Guangdong province, have made headline news around the world. The village has emerged as a symbol of China’s rural democracy as residents staged demonstrations against illegal land seizures and corruption. ‘We’re scared and dare not go out’: food shortage as Wukan in police lockdown after clashes over protest leader’s arrest WATCH: Wukan in police lockdown after clashes Many Chinese villages have been victimised by corrupt land... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019006/symbol-chinas-rural-democracy-five-years-struggle-wukan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019006/symbol-chinas-rural-democracy-five-years-struggle-wukan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Sep 2016 08:30:30 +0000 Wukan in southern China is still in state of lockdown with armed police on patrol and checks in force on people entering or leaving the village after protest leaders were arrested earlier this week. Symbol of China’s rural democracy: five years of struggle in Wukan land grab protests The remote fishing village in eastern Guangdong province appeared largely peaceful on Wednesday morning, but residents said restrictions on getting into the village were limiting supplies of food and there was a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019308/wukan-state-lockdown-after-clashes-riot-police-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019308/wukan-state-lockdown-after-clashes-riot-police-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Sep 2016 06:45:15 +0000 The remote fishing village of Wukan in eastern Guangdong is under a de facto lockdown after tensions escalated on Tuesday afternoon, leading to dozens more protesters being arrested. The clash followed a pre-dawn raid that saw 13 residents detained, allegedly for disturbing public order. Locals compared the clash yesterday afternoon to combat in a “war zone”, with injured villagers forced to remain inside fearing arrest. Wukan attracted media coverage around the world five years ago after... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019092/wukan-lockdown-chinese-village-turns-war-zone-police?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2019092/wukan-lockdown-chinese-village-turns-war-zone-police?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Sep 2016 16:15:45 +0000 Villagers have clashed with riot police in Wukan in southern China after officers forced their way into homes in the remote fishing village and arrested more than a dozen villagers early on Tuesday. The arrests came after the village leader Lin Zuluan, who headed protests against land seizures, was jailed last week on corruption charges. Villagers were injured by rubber bullets and tear gas shells were seen scattered on the ground, according to witnesses and video footage obtained by the South... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2018874/tear-gas-rubber-bullets-used-chinese-riot-police-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2018874/tear-gas-rubber-bullets-used-chinese-riot-police-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Sep 2016 02:45:15 +0000 The elected leader of a Guangdong village that made headlines for anticorruption protests five years ago, was sentenced on Thursday to more than three years in jail and fined 200,000 yuan (HK$233,000) for taking bribes. Lin Zuluan, 70, pleaded guilty to two corruption charges in the Chancheng district court in ­Foshan,Southcn.com, a provincial online portal, reported. Lin was found guilty of taking more than 440,000 yuan in bribes in relation to building projects in Wukan and 150,000 yuan in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2017652/wukan-village-chief-lin-zuluan-jailed-37-months-fined?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2017652/wukan-village-chief-lin-zuluan-jailed-37-months-fined?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Sep 2016 08:30:45 +0000 Villagers in Wukan in Guangdong province are stepping up their demonstrations as their leader, Lin Zuluan, was set to stand trial for corruption on Thursday. Wukan made headlines around the world five years ago after staging a series of defiant protests against land seizures. Local authorities have warned villagers, who have staged marches for 79 days calling for Lin’s ­release, to stop protesting. Upon hearing the news that Lin would stand trial in Foshan this morning, Wukan villagers posted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2017124/chinese-village-chief-centre-land-grab-protests-stand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2017124/chinese-village-chief-centre-land-grab-protests-stand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Sep 2016 06:15:15 +0000 Guangdong authorities formally arrested Wukan village chief Lin Zuluan on Thursday for alleged graft as defiant residents pressed on with their month-long protest in support of their elected leader. The Shanwei government, which oversees Wukan, announced the arrest in an online statement. But, a month after Lin, 70, was detained, villagers continued their daily demonstrations demanding his release. “No matter how hard the authorities try to smear Lin’s character, our eyes are crystal clear,” one... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1993186/popular-elected-chinese-village-chief-arrested-bribery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1993186/popular-elected-chinese-village-chief-arrested-bribery?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jul 2016 04:20:56 +0000 The remote eastern Guangdong fishing village of Wukan might look peaceful on the surface but its residents are haunted by fear, especially when night falls. That fear has led to the recent rise of the Wukan night-watchers, mostly young men on motorcycles, who guard important points and alleyways, such as those housing the family of the village’s detained Communist Party chief, Lin Zuluan. He has not taken a single dime of salary when serving as party secretary Yang Zhen, Lin Zuluan’s wife It has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1982989/wukan-village-living-fear-following-arrest-party-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1982989/wukan-village-living-fear-following-arrest-party-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Jul 2016 22:00:49 +0000 The southern Guangdong village of Wukan is in the international news again, this time for the wrong reasons. More than four years ago, intervention by the provincial government in a three-month revolt against local officials by residents over land grabs led to free elections that were supposed to usher in management of their own affairs. It was hoped Wukan would become a model for resolving land disputes and not an exception made to end a confrontation in the global spotlight. Chinese villagers... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1982751/authorities-must-solve-wukan-land-dispute-through-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1982751/authorities-must-solve-wukan-land-dispute-through-compromise?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2016 14:59:07 +0000 Authorities in the eastern Guangdong city of Shanwei say the Communist Party secretary of Wukan village, Lin Zuluan, received 80,000 yuan (HK$93,700) in kickbacks from the construction of a school running track. However, villagers are continuing to protest, demanding the release of the village chief, who had been at the centre of protests over land seizures. State broadcaster China Central Television reported that the authorities had confirmed on Friday an internet posting accusing 70-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1980859/wukan-village-chief-accused-toxic-track-graft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1980859/wukan-village-chief-accused-toxic-track-graft?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jun 2016 18:02:39 +0000 Two renowned rights lawyers based in southern China say judicial authorities told them to avoid the case involving the ­Wukan village chief who has been detained on suspicion of bribery after calling for protests over land grabs. But they pointed out that under mainland law, Lin Zuluan was entitled to counsel, whether he was guilty or not. Lin, 70, was taken from his home in the fishing village in Guangdong province early on Saturday morning after calling on residents to mount a protest over... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1979700/chinese-lawyers-say-judicial-officials-barred-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1979700/chinese-lawyers-say-judicial-officials-barred-them?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jun 2016 15:51:27 +0000 Residents of villages near Wukan in southern Guangdong province say they are involved in land disputes similar to their neighbour’s, but are not being heard because they lack financial support and competent leadership. Liu Yongjiang, a resident of Xialongtan about 5km from Wukan, said officials in his village had made 200 million yuan (HK$236 million) by selling communal land, a hotel and two other properties that belonged to villagers. Villagers in southern China defy warnings and press ahead... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1978993/neighbours-chinese-village-protesting-over-land-grabs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1978993/neighbours-chinese-village-protesting-over-land-grabs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jun 2016 01:02:08 +0000 The village chief at the centre of protests over land seizures in Wukan, Guangdong, has confessed to taking bribes in a video released by local authorities amid mounting demands for his release. The disclosure came as authorities accused a Hong Kong newspaper and a digital media group of inciting, planning and directing the protests. Villagers in southern China defy warnings and press ahead with demonstration to demand chief’s release About 2,000 villagers have taken to the streets in recent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1978440/wukan-protest-leader-admits-bribery-hong-kong-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1978440/wukan-protest-leader-admits-bribery-hong-kong-media?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jun 2016 05:15:15 +0000 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1977938/detained-village-chief-centre-land-grab-protests-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1977938/detained-village-chief-centre-land-grab-protests-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jun 2016 04:15:00 +0000 Thousands of people in Wukan in southern Guangdong province defied a police warning and staged a protest march yesterday, demanding that authorities ­release their village chief and ­return occupied land. Under a scorching sun, more than 2,000 residents from ­children to the elderly gathered at about 2pm amid a heavy presence of riot police, waving national flags and giant white banners ­declaring their grievances. “Release our party secretary, return our land,” they chanted in the village’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1977349/villagers-southern-china-defy-warnings-and-press-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1977349/villagers-southern-china-defy-warnings-and-press-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jun 2016 06:30:15 +0000 The arrest by Chinese police of the chief of a remote fishing village – which captured headlines around the world in 2011 when it challenged the government over illegal land grabs – has been condemned by residents as a “thuggish” attempt by officials to halt a mass protest against continuing abuses. Five years since landmark protests, Chinese village stirs again Prosecutors in Lufeng city in Guangdong province, who sent in the police to detain Lin Zuluan, 70, the party secretary of Wukan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1977073/chinese-residents-slam-police-thugs-after-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1977073/chinese-residents-slam-police-thugs-after-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jun 2016 02:45:30 +0000 Chinese prosecutors have detained on bribery charges a deputy chief of a village which attracted worldwide attention when it rebelled against its Communist leaders, a local government website said. Hong Ruichao, one of the leaders of the 2011 uprising in the southern village of Wukan which saw locals drive out Communist Party officials accused of illegal land grabs, was held on Wednesday, according to the official Weibo microblog of Lufeng city, which administers Wukan. The report suggests a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1453141/second-leader-rebel-village-wukan-detained-graft-charges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1453141/second-leader-rebel-village-wukan-detained-graft-charges?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Mar 2014 05:00:45 +0000 A deputy chief of Wukan, who helped lead anti-graft protests that spurred a landmark election in the village, has been detained for alleged bribery. Hong Ruichao was placed under criminal investigation on Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of pocketing funds from public projects, the information bureau of Lufeng city in Guangdong province said on Sina Weibo. The news comes at a sensitive time, as the village prepares for new polls on March 31 and April 1. Hong and another village deputy, Yang Semao,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1452702/suspicion-clouds-wukan-leaders-bribery-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1452702/suspicion-clouds-wukan-leaders-bribery-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Mar 2014 20:34:06 +0000 A Wukan official who helped lead the village's historic anti-corruption protests in 2011 was released last night after being held for more than 24 hours on bribery allegations. The criminal detention of deputy Wukan chief Yang Semao on Thursday came just days before the village is expected to hold a pivotal election that many observers believe will decide the fate of its nascent democracy. After his release last night, Yang denied accepting bribes related to village projects, as claimed in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1448618/wukan-protest-leader-arrested-accused-taking-bribes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1448618/wukan-protest-leader-arrested-accused-taking-bribes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Mar 2014 08:30:00 +0000 Wukan’s old guard are slowly retaking control of the village government, sparking fears of a return to the old regime where residents lived in fear of land grabs and where corruption was rampant – which a landmark democratic election two years ago sought to wipe out. Last Friday, Xue Yubao, one of the former village bosses, was appointed by higher-level authorities in Donghai township to be the next deputy party secretary, while four of his associates will also be part of the nine-member Wukan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1439293/wukan-villages-future-under-threat-ex-cadres-retake-party-reins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1439293/wukan-villages-future-under-threat-ex-cadres-retake-party-reins?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Mar 2014 07:15:00 +0000 After a little more than a year in the limelight, Zhuang Liehong has given up politics. Zhuang emerged as a leader of grass-roots protests over stolen land in Wukan in Guangdong in 2011 and was elected to its village committee in a historic democratic election the following year. But he quit the committee in October and does not intend to stand in the new poll slated for some time after winter. Like many others in this community, Zhuang has lost faith in democracy - at least the local version -... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1406766/grass-roots-leader-withdraws-politics-wukan-loses-faith-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1406766/grass-roots-leader-withdraws-politics-wukan-loses-faith-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2014 03:45:45 +0000 The controversial former top party official in Shanwei, which oversees the restive village of Wukan, has been appointed deputy propaganda chief of Guangdong. Zheng Yanxiong, a native of Shantou city, was appointed to the position this month, the online portal of People's Daily reported yesterday. Rumours of the appointment had been circulating for weeks, but no official announcement had been made. The Nanfang Daily reported that Zheng had attended a song and dance troupe performance in Guangzhou... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1278275/controversial-wukan-official-zheng-yanxiong-gets-new-role-guangdong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1278275/controversial-wukan-official-zheng-yanxiong-gets-new-role-guangdong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The troubled Wukan model shows that China's political reform can't be propelled by crises in governance, but only by gradual democratic development focusing on improving the way officials are elected and monitored in office, says a leading political theorist. Yu Keping, deputy chief of the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau, told a forum yesterday organised by the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute that political reform driven by crises always produced inconsistent results or even... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1224930/political-reform-china-wont-be-driven-crises-says-theorist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1224930/political-reform-china-wont-be-driven-crises-says-theorist?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Villagers in Wukan, in eastern Guangdong, have taken to the barricades again, frustrated at the slow pace of restoration of farmland sold for development by former village cadres. Hundreds of the villagers, whose protests two years ago led to the removal of those cadres and direct elections for a new village committee, blocked a main road yesterday, protesting that officials were stalling on restitution. About 400 villagers, some holding rocks, engaged in a peaceful stand-off with about 500... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1224133/wukan-villagers-block-main-road-press-speedy-return-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1224133/wukan-villagers-block-main-road-press-speedy-return-land?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Wukan's venture into democracy has not failed, a scholar who advised villagers during their historic elections said yesterday. The Guangdong village just needs to fix its immature political system. As Wukan last month marked the first anniversary of its free elections, villagers expressed frustration that their new freely elected village representatives had failed to negotiate the return of most of the land sold by the corrupt previous leadership. But Xiong Wei, a Beijing-based legal activist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1218727/too-early-call-wukan-experiment-failure-village-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1218727/too-early-call-wukan-experiment-failure-village-adviser-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A Guangdong rebel village’s unprecedented venture into democracy has not failed, one Beijing scholar who advised villagers on holding elections said on Friday. Wukan just needed to fix its miniature political system. Last month marked the first anniversary of Wukan’s free elections. At the anniversary, villagers expressed their frustration that their new freely elected village representatives had not been able to negotiate the return of most of the land that had been sold by the previous corrupt... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1218423/chinas-rebel-village-not-failure-says-activist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1218423/chinas-rebel-village-not-failure-says-activist?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:47:04 +0000 A vice-minister of civil affairs yesterday refuted an argument that the "Wukan model" of democratic elections had failed in the fishing village over the past year. But she also tried to downplay the poll's significance by claiming that direct elections are prevalent in rural China. Amid reports that Wukan villagers have been losing patience with their elected leaders over the slow progress to reclaim stolen land, Jiang Li said that "sorting out economic interests [in Wukan] takes time" and would... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1190122/wukan-villagers-decry-vice-ministers-mixed-message-free-polls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1190122/wukan-villagers-decry-vice-ministers-mixed-message-free-polls?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Chinese authorities have arrested a village chief and eight other people over clashes surrounding a land deal that provoked residents’ fury, as officials sought to end a stand-off over the dispute on Sunday. Officials sent in police to clear road blocks in Shangpu, in the southern province of Guangdong, early on Sunday, sparking fresh violence in which residents said 30 to 40 villagers had been hurt. But local authorities also said the land transfer to a local businessman which triggered the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1187586/china-village-chief-held-over-land-deal-clash-shangpu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1187586/china-village-chief-held-over-land-deal-clash-shangpu?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Mar 2013 06:39:48 +0000 A year ago last week, the tiny Guangdong fishing village of Wukan made history with a democratic election to choose its local leaders. The election was the villagers' reward for months of tenacious protest against illegal land grabs by corrupt officials. The demonstrations saw them kick out their old leaders and effectively cut themselves off from the outside world. The poll was considered free and fair, and the village was held up as an example by human rights campaigners and an inspiration to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1183754/wukans-new-leaders-losing-steam-amid-reality-politics-year-later?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1183754/wukans-new-leaders-losing-steam-amid-reality-politics-year-later?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Villagers in southern China were locked in a standoff with authorities on Sunday and were demanding democratic polls after a violent clash with thugs linked to a local official over a land transfer. Just over a week ago, residents of Shangpu in Guangdong province fought with scores of attackers whom they claimed were sent by the village Communist Party chief and a business tycoon after they protested against a land deal. Now police are blockading the settlement to outsiders while residents... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1173314/china-village-shangpu-defies-officials-demand-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1173314/china-village-shangpu-defies-officials-demand-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:31:49 +0000 Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the fair election in Wukan, a remote Guangdong fishing village known for its remarkable civil resistance that won "real democracy" in the form of a direct, grass-roots election for its government. However, it's doubtful that villagers will be celebrating their success on the anniversary. A year ago, more than 80 per cent of qualified voters in the village cast their ballots and elected protest leaders to form a seven-member village committee, replacing one... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1167538/year-after-free-election-grass-roots-democracy-wukan-withers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1167538/year-after-free-election-grass-roots-democracy-wukan-withers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Some elected leaders of a Guangdong village renowned for its democratic elections say the village is not ready for the democracy its residents aggressively aspired to a year ago. Villagers in Wukan, Lufeng county, were in a festive mood in March, as they were finally able to vote in the election of a seven-member village committee after months of struggles and confrontations with authorities because of illegal land grabs. The participants hailed their protests as an effective model for people... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1150517/wukan-democracy-leaves-village-divided?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1150517/wukan-democracy-leaves-village-divided?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000 China abroad | China at home Chen Zengxin, wrote young Wukan political activist Zhang Jianxing Tuesday evening on Sina Weibo, "the former Lufeng party secretary who led 1,400 SWAT police in sealing off Wukan, has finally been removed from his government position and the Party." After the Wukan protests, Zhang writes, Chen was appointed to the Shanwei municipal standing committee and made party secretary of the political-legal commission, later playing a leadership role locally in the 'two... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1129963/shanwei-official-who-led-siege-wukan-has-been-expelled-party-taking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1129963/shanwei-official-who-led-siege-wukan-has-been-expelled-party-taking?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:09:35 +0000 A year ago, the villagers of Wukan in Guangdong province forced their corrupt local leader to flee in a rebellion that shook the Communist Party and which serves as a warning to the country's incoming leaders. At a congress starting on Thursday, the party will anoint a new chief for the next 10 years, whose regime will have to address growing anger over graft and challenges from a vocal band of dissidents and rights activists. In the Wukan revolt, villagers defied the usually iron-fisted police... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1075152/wukan-revolt-nudge-xi-jinping-tackle-graft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1075152/wukan-revolt-nudge-xi-jinping-tackle-graft?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 A year ago, the villagers of Wukan in China forced their corrupt local leader to flee in a rebellion that shook the Communist Party and which serves as a warning to the country’s incoming leaders. At a congress starting Thursday, the party will anoint a new chief for the next 10 years, whose regime will have to address growing anger over graft as well as challenges from a vocal band of dissidents and rights activists. In the Wukan revolt, villagers defied the usually iron-fisted police and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1075006/chinas-new-leaders-face-emboldened-critics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1075006/chinas-new-leaders-face-emboldened-critics?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Nov 2012 03:56:33 +0000 A year after the start of protests that led to free elections in Wukan, a fishing village in east Guangdong, the din of cement mixers and construction trucks has replaced the revolutionary songs that used to blare through loudspeakers. Cooking smoke curls through the air, and the giant white protest banners that called for the overthrow of corrupt officials have been replaced by slogans encouraging birth control. Life seems to have returned to normal, but the growing pains have just begun for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1054945/wukan-villagers-experiment-democracy-has-been-hard-going?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1054945/wukan-villagers-experiment-democracy-has-been-hard-going?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Wukan party secretary Lin Zuluan , 68, has some regrets about stepping out of a long retirement to play a leading role in the political upheaval that gripped the east Guangdong fishing village last year. "I've known since I was in my 20s that it's no good to be mixed with politics," he said. "It's a cruel game and I'm not interested in it. I only want to live an ordinary life, that's enough. "Democracy is a luxury only the most affluent can afford. Without a solid economic foundation, it's... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1054944/leader-wukan-land-fight-bears-burden-responsibility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1054944/leader-wukan-land-fight-bears-burden-responsibility?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Fear and uncertainty still grip the village of Wukan, despite the rosy picture painted by the authorities after a village election last weekend. The election restored governance to the remote fishing community in eastern Guangdong after the eviction of its previous leaders, following protests that began in September over fraudulent land deals. Villagers are now building a library with donated books and concentrating their efforts on negotiating the return of stolen land. Exactly how they will... https://www.scmp.com/article/995000/wukan-living-fear-spies-and-harassment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/995000/wukan-living-fear-spies-and-harassment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Two prominent leaders of land-grab protests in Wukan, Guangdong, were elected village chief and deputy chief yesterday, in a milestone for grass-roots democracy on the mainland. Land-rights protesters from elsewhere in Guangdong and across the mainland watched the voting, hoping to learn from the historic event and to seize a rare opportunity to voice their own grievances to the international media. The US consul in Guangzhou, Paul Baldwin, was also allowed to watch the proceedings. Lin... https://www.scmp.com/article/994425/protest-leaders-elected-key-posts-wukan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/994425/protest-leaders-elected-key-posts-wukan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Xue Jinbo, the protest leader whose death in police custody last year played a role in triggering one of the most successful grass-roots protest movements on the mainland, has finally been laid to rest, albeit temporarily. Though the cause of his death is still disputed by Wukan villagers in Guangdong, Xue's family agreed to drop the issue in exchange for the release of his body for burial. Villager Hong Ruiqing said she and about 80 others left Wukan at around 8am yesterday and went to Shanwei... https://www.scmp.com/article/992865/wukan-protest-leader-laid-rest-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/992865/wukan-protest-leader-laid-rest-now?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000 More than 6,600 residents of Wukan cast their ballots yesterday in the second round of voting for villagers to represent them. The 109 representatives elected will play a critical role in negotiating with authorities over 1,700 hectares of collectively owned land villagers say corrupt officials sold secretly. Villagers in the remote fishing and farming community near Lufeng in eastern Guandong - who have been in an often tense stand-off with authorities for months over the land grabs - held... https://www.scmp.com/article/992410/wukan-elects-109-village-representatives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/992410/wukan-elects-109-village-representatives?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000