More than 3,000 farmers from Changguo County Salt Farms in eastern China’s Ningbo protested against suppression and injustice on the morning of July 25. They gathered around the south bound coastal highway, blocking traffic. The local regime sent forth 300 riot and armed police. The protest ended with two farmers beaten till unconscious, more than 10 injured, and 6 arrested.
Jinling Villagers of ChangGuo County granted an interview with the Epoch Times and explained the incident. It is revealed that the specially armed police also made a visit that night to the village, arresting more farmers.
Changguo County Salt Farms are owned by share holders of the neighboring 13 farming teams. Local peasants live on salt farms. Two years ago, local officials sold the Chengguo County Salt Farms to nearby Shipu Town for construction of Shipu Science and Technology Park. The construction is now in the land filling phase.
Villagers said that local officials sold the Farms but the farms received low compensation, “several negotiations (for higher compensation) have failed and the farmers have been frustrated. With no other way, farmers have started to protest by sitting in the salt farms to stop the land-fill process about half of a month ago.”
In the morning of July 25, thousands of people spontaneously gathered on south bound coastal highway and block traffic going to Beijing and Shanghai for a couple of hours.
Local officials did not make an appearance, instead sending a couple hundred special police to disperse the crowd.
Villagers explained, “The farmers felt mistreated. The regime did not try to help resolve the problem, but sent the police to suppress the protest. The farmers therefore decided to resist the armed police and destroyed one police vehicle. More than 10 villagers were injured. Some ran away, and 6 were arrested. Two were unconscious as a result of the beating by electric batons and kicking. They were sent to the hospital and their situation remains unknown.”
According to an online post, the Party Chief of the 13 farming teams has been bribed, thus changing his attitude from supporting the farmers to supporting the officials.
