Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Rebel Chinese Village Wins Concessions

Wukan roadblocks lifted, land to be returned

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 21, 2011 1:51 AM CST

(Newser) – They fought the law and, for now, it looks like they won. Villagers in southern China who rebelled against the Communist Party over a land grab and the death of a village negotiator in police custody have had some of their demands met, AP reports. Authorities have agreed to release four detained villagers from Wukan and return confiscated land to farmers.

The Communist Party's deputy chief in Guangdong province has agreed to meet with protest leaders, and, in return, villagers have agreed to postpone a planned march to government offices. Police officers had surrounded the Guangdong village of 20,000 people during the two-week standoff, but roadblocks have now been lifted. Thousands of protests against land grabs occur every year in China, but the one in Wukan attracted an unusual amount of attention both in China and abroad, the BBC notes.

Roadblocks have been lifted and food is now being delivered to Wukan. (Getty Images)

Villagers in Wukan wait for the return of leader Lin Zulian after his meeting with a senior government official. (Getty Images)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

96%

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

China Smacks Ex-Leaders Dumped in Village Revolt

Party officials fined, expelled for illegal land deals in Wukan

(NEWSER) - China's Communist Party has punished officials whose corruption angered townspeople in southern China so much that they rebelled against the regime — and won . Two officials from Wukan have been expelled from the party for corruption and 18 others punished, according to state media. The expelled pair will have to return tens of thousands of dollars obtained through illegal land transfers and may also face criminal charges, the BBC reports. More»

Chen: 'Lawless' Chinese Officials Must Be Punished

He demands central government investigate Shandong abuse

(NEWSER) - Chen Guangcheng says that even if he leaves China, he will not abandon his quest for the rule of law to prevail in his home province, Shandong. The central government must investigate and punish the officials who jailed him on false charges and kept him under illegal house arrest for 19 months, where he and his family were abused, he insists. "No matter who the official, no matter how high the official, no matter how many people are implicated, they must all be dealt with strictly according to the law," the blind dissident tells Reuters . More»

NYT : Bo Wiretapped Communist Party Chiefs

Eavesdropping expanded to include party bigwigs

(NEWSER) - Another twist in the scandal shaking China : Bo Xilai was ousted as Chongqing party chief not just for his link to the murder of a British businessman, but for eavesdropping on a scale that would shame British tabloids, reports the New York Times , citing Communist Party insiders. The wiretapping program apparently involved the phones of almost every high-ranking party official to visit the city, and President Hu Jintao himself detected a wiretap when he called a senior anti-corruption official visiting Chongqing, the sources say. More»

China's Bo Scandal Erupted at US Consulate

Consulate shielded Wang Lijun from pro-Bo cops, but refused him amnesty

(NEWSER) - The biggest political scandal to hit China in a generation started with a visit to a US consulate that sparked a frantic State Department debate, the New York Times finds. When Chongqing chief Bo Xilai's deputy Wang Jilun fled to the US consulate in nearby Chengdu, he was refused asylum. But as Chinese security forces surrounded the building demanding Wang's return, apparently on Bo's orders, he was allowed to remain for 36 hours so that he could be handed over to authorities from Beijing instead of local forces. Insiders say Wang's unsavory reputation, plus the difficulty of spiriting him out of the country, helped the State Department decide against granting him asylum. More»

China Cracks Down on Maoists

Leftist revival halted after top party official fired

(NEWSER) - The Chinese Communist Party is cracking down on people who are a little too enthusiastic about the man who led it to power in 1949. The firing of Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai , who led a Maoist revival, has been followed by a purge of websites promoting Mao Zedong-era songs and stories, along with ultra-leftist ideals. In Chongqing, music has been banned from a park where retirees used to wave red flags and sing patriotic anthems, reports the Los Angeles Times . More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Rebel Chinese Village Wins Concessions

Wukan roadblocks lifted, land to be returned

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

China • Guangdong • Chinese Communist party • Wukan

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

China Smacks Ex-Leaders Dumped in Village Revolt

Party officials fined, expelled for illegal land deals in Wukan

Chen: 'Lawless' Chinese Officials Must Be Punished

He demands central government investigate Shandong abuse

NYT : Bo Wiretapped Communist Party Chiefs

Eavesdropping expanded to include party bigwigs

China's Bo Scandal Erupted at US Consulate

Consulate shielded Wang Lijun from pro-Bo cops, but refused him amnesty

China Cracks Down on Maoists

Leftist revival halted after top party official fired

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?