Land-grab county offers cash
By Li Qian |
00:00 UTC+8 March 24, 2012
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A COUNTY government in central China has been exposed for snatching farmland without getting approval or offering compensation.
Residents of Zhouzhuang Village in Henan Province stood before a bulldozer on Thursday afternoon to stop the land grab ordered by Shangcai County, which administers the village.
Villagers said officials coerced them into putting their fingerprints on the agreements to offer the crops.
One man who refused was detained by police until his family agreed to sign, Nanfang Daily reported yesterday.
Jing Hanjun, a top official of the village, told a villager surnamed Liu that "if you don't sign, you'll starve to death," the newspaper said.
In the face of public outrage, Shangcai County government announced on Thursday that compensation will be paid.
According to the Chinese law, the county government should get the approval of both the State Council and the provincial government to take farmland.
But the county government began taking the land in January, and still has not obtained approval, villagers said. Around 4 hectares of crops have been bulldozed, said villagers.
The county government blamed developer Henan Shengfeng Real Estate Co Ltd, saying it had been over-eager.
Farmers in Chinese mainland don't directly own their fields. Instead, most rural land is owned collectively by villages, with farmers allocated leases that can last for decades.
Last month, Premier Wen Jiabao called for more efforts to ensure farmers' land rights.
Residents of Zhouzhuang Village in Henan Province stood before a bulldozer on Thursday afternoon to stop the land grab ordered by Shangcai County, which administers the village.
Villagers said officials coerced them into putting their fingerprints on the agreements to offer the crops.
One man who refused was detained by police until his family agreed to sign, Nanfang Daily reported yesterday.
Jing Hanjun, a top official of the village, told a villager surnamed Liu that "if you don't sign, you'll starve to death," the newspaper said.
In the face of public outrage, Shangcai County government announced on Thursday that compensation will be paid.
According to the Chinese law, the county government should get the approval of both the State Council and the provincial government to take farmland.
But the county government began taking the land in January, and still has not obtained approval, villagers said. Around 4 hectares of crops have been bulldozed, said villagers.
The county government blamed developer Henan Shengfeng Real Estate Co Ltd, saying it had been over-eager.
Farmers in Chinese mainland don't directly own their fields. Instead, most rural land is owned collectively by villages, with farmers allocated leases that can last for decades.
Last month, Premier Wen Jiabao called for more efforts to ensure farmers' land rights.
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