Death for man who set fire to protest tent
Print Edition
SEVEN people were sentenced yesterday for their part in a fire over a land dispute which killed one person and injured three others in east China’s Shandong Province.
Wang Yuefu, who was sentenced to death, had been instructed by officials in Shandong’s Pingdu City to intimidate villagers protesting over compensation for farmland sold by authorities to a property developer, the Qingdao Intermediate People’s Court announced.
The farmers wanted the local government to give them all the 15.27 million yuan (US$2.46 million) the developer had paid, the court said, while officials insisted most should be reserved for social security purposes.
Du Qunshan, director of the Dujiatuan village committee, and Li Qing were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Liu Changwei was sentenced to 19 years while Li Xianguang and Chai Peitao were sentenced to 18 years.
Real estate developer Cui Lianguo was sentenced to six years.
All were convicted of arson while Liu, Li Xianguang and Chai were also convicted of “picking quarrels and creating trouble.”
Wang and Cui said they would appeal while the others told the court they needed time to consider their position.
The Qingdao court heard that on March 5, 2014, villagers had begun disrupting development in protest over compensation for the seizure of their land.
A tent was erected near the construction site and was occupied around the clock so protesters could monitor the development.
On March 13, they cut off the power and forced construction to stop.
Village officials tried to persuade the protesters to leave but failed. Then Du and Cui came up with the idea of intimidating the protesters. Wang, who had been jailed for robbery and possession of guns, was recruited.
He found four others and, under Du’s orders, they set fire to the tent while protesters were sleeping.
Geng Fulin, 62, died while three others were injured, one seriously.
Under Chinese law, only the government has the power to appropriate land.
But the central government has announced a trial program that may allow farmers to sell land.
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