SICHUAN, CHINA - Farmers from the No. 1 commune in Jiefang Village, Anyue County, Sichuan Province still have not received any proper compensations from the government after it appropriated all of their lands in 2002. Unable to make a living, the farmers initiated a movement this November to protect their lands and prevent development of the grounds. But the Anyue County government sent thousands of people to forcefully enter the village and began construction work. The ordeal caused numerous injuries and nine abductions, four of which resulted in serious injuries requiring hospitalization.
The No. 1 commune of Jiefang Village has a population of 598 people. In 2002, the county government announced that it would appropriate the village’s land. Moreover, the government deducted 3.41 million yuan (US$ 0.43 million) from compensation that should have been paid to the farmers, claiming that the money would be used as a social security fund. However, at present, the farmers have received neither insurance settlements nor job placements.
In a status report given to the Sichuan Province inspection team, the Anyue County Party Secretary and the county head lied in a TV interview claiming that everything had been settled with the farmers who had lost their lands. This deceit outraged the farmers.
The local Land Resources Administration Bureau has been known to make substantial profits by forcefully appropriating land at low prices and selling it to real estate developers at higher prices. The developer at the No. 1 commune in Jiefang Village is Jiang Meiyun, son of Jiang Zuquan, the county’s Chairman of the People’s Congress. In addition to holding considerable amounts of power, these people have also drafted the help of mobsters in pursuit of their goals.
