China to face more Wukan-style protests

A top Chinese official who helped defuse a rare revolt by villagers has said the country should be prepared for further protests as people grow more assertive in demanding their rights.

Zhu Mingguo compared the situation in the southern Chinese village of Wukan, where residents angered by years of illegal land grabs drove out their Communist leaders, to an apple that appears healthy but is "rotten to the core" - on the outside the skin is red, but once broke open the mess can't be cleaned up.



The Wukan protests exploded because:
1) local officials failed to address the villagers' complaints
2) refused to consult them on decisions about collectively owned land

However, the residents of Wukan ended their stand-off with authorities in Guangdong last week when Zhu, deputy party secretary for the wealthy southern province, called their complaints "reasonable" and said three detained protest leaders would be freed.

"The public's awareness of democracy, equality and rights is continually getting stronger, and as a result their demands are growing. The task of managing the masses is becoming more and more difficult," he added.

ORIGINAL SOURCE
Content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.