Wukan

China's rebel villagers in Wukan threaten to march on government offices

Rebel villagers in China say they will march on the main administrative town if government officials and police refuse to hand over the body of their community chief

the Telegraph,

17 December, 2011

During another day of protests and marches, Wukan village representative Lin Zulian addressed a crowd of more than 6,000, pledging to fight with their lives against the corrupt system which has robbed them of their coastal land and of their village leader, Xue Jinbo.

"We give the local government and police five days to hand back Xue's body. If not, we shall climb over our barricades and march on the [Lufeng] town hall to try and get his remains," said Mr Lin.

Last week protest in the village saw the local party and police lose control and flee the area, for the first time on record. In retaliation police have mounted a seven-day blockade that is choking the village of food supplies.

On Saturday the villagers staged a practice march around the small maze of streets after another emotional rally, the sixth in as many days, which included a memorial for Xue.

All answered the call to donate small amounts of money to help pay for the rice-run and help feed the poorer families who are starting to feel the pinch as supplies dry up due a land and sea blockade by the local government.

As the protesters filed passed the now empty village administrative centre, they slid paper notes into a ballot-like box and gripped onto their banners demanding democracy.

"If they have 100 coffins, they can bury me in 99. But I will save one for the corrupt officials who have been working with business people to take away our rights and our friend," said Mr Lin.

Among their angry chants, the villagers once more voiced support for the Communist Party and the central government - and called for top to bottom transparency among their leaders.

It is to the capital, Beijing, that the mainly peasant farmers and fishermen look for salvation - as well as justice and emancipation from the long reign of a crooked local government that has been chased out of town.

But by calling on Beijing to resolve the country's most daring open revolt in recent times, the villagers are seen to be hedging their bets in this unprecedented David and Goliath brinkmanship.

Though the ruling Communist Party launches regular swoops to weed out rampant corruption among its ranks to appease the masses, it has never been tolerant of such direct threats to its rule, be they from individuals, ethnic communities such as Tibetans - or from a ramshackle but determined village on the country's southern coast.

Since the Telegraph broke the story to the West last week, more international media have made their way into the sprawling coastal settlement, passing security roadblocks on the back of motorcycles and bumpy drives up the network of sandy-dirt tracks.

The media presence is seen to be acting as a human shield; the government wouldn't dare send in the armed paramilitary riot police with so many cameras around, goes the argument.

Most likely, officials at all levels are biding their time, slowly tightening the noose on food and medical supplies, hoping for resolve to soften among the majority - after which ringleaders will be rounded up and severely punished for their defiance and dangerous rabble-rousing.

Points of contact between the villagers and higher levels of government since the protests began appear vague, however.

"We have third parties passing on our demands," said Mr Lin, without elaborating.

High emotion consisting of shock and anger rather than slick organisation remains the driving force behind the rebellion.

"We think we do have the support of other villages like this around the country, who have also been robbed and lied to by their government leaders.

We just don't know how to organize it in such a big way," Mr Lin said. "But we in Wukan can set an example for other poor villagers to demand justice and truth and get rid of corruption."

The Sunday Telegraph toured the village barricades yesterday. Sawn down trees, crudely tied trip wire, wood embedded with nails, strategically scattered broken glass and stockpiles of rubble projectiles are the main defence against any goon snatch squads who dare to enter the village.

But defiance and anger remain the most potent weapons against the increasing number of paramilitary police seen mustering at checkpoints on the main roads.

Some villagers have walkie-talkie radios but mobile phones remain the main means of communication.

Fearing the government will soon cut the lines and down the internet connection, gongs have been placed at the barricades and are to be sounded to summon the village to defend against attack.

The Sunday Telegraph took a trip to the small fishing port on the back of a motorbike with a village elder called Chen.

He pointed out the multiple tracts of land he claims have been stolen by the crooked officials over a 10 year period.

"There is a lot of anger here. They have been robbing and lying to use for a long time," he said.

The small fishing vessels are tied up – unable to be put to sea because of a small flotilla of marine police are blockading the small bay's entrance, according to Chen. "They chase you back in," he said.

A slogan adorning a government funded hotel which was due to be open next year reads: "Running along the seaside in the golden times!"

"They built it on our land. We want it back," said Chen.