Nepal: New class struggle in the countryside?

During the people’s war (1996-2006), Maoist cadres in Nepal confiscated thousands of acres of land from rich landowners and distributed it to poor peasants. In November of 2011,  an agreement reached between UCPN(M) leaders Prachanda and Bhattarai and several bourgeois parties aimed to reverse the land distribution. Article 6 of that seven-point agreement stated:

The UCPN (Maoist) would take an official decision to return the private and public properties seized by the party during the armed conflict to the rightful owners for their use by Nov 23. Due compensations would be paid to the owners for the loss caused by the seizure of properties.

Reportedly, much of the land was indeed returned to its owners. But now, it seems revolutionary Maoist cadres are again confiscating the land and returning it to the people. Though this article is from the bourgeois press and may be inaccurate, it reflects similar incidents reported elsewhere. It originally appeared at The Himalayan Times.

Baidhya faction cadres recapture land in Udayapur

December 28, 2011

UDAYAPUR: The local supporters of Baidhya faction have recaptured the four-and-a-half bighas of land belonging to Gajaraj Tated in Jogidaha VDC-1 of Udayapur district on Wednesday.

Wukan – Protests Spread Across South China – Another Arab Spring?

Could the major protests that began in Wukan be the spark that stars a prairie fire? It remains to be seen, but rebellion seems to be spreading to other areas of China. This article is from The Telegraph.

Wukan: Protests Across South China as Riot Police Take on Demonstrators in Haimen

Riot police fired tear-gas and beat demonstrators who stormed government buildings in Haimen, a major town in southern China on Tuesday – just 75 miles from the rebel village of Wukan.

By Peter Simpson in Wukan, Dec. 20,2011

Residents of Haimen, a 130,000-strong town in the province of Guangdong, are demanding a coal-fired plant be moved, claiming it is damaging their health.

Web photos show a large gathering of people and riot police in a public square, and it is reported about 30,000 people in the town have gone on strike.