China – The Spirit of Wukan

“One Western reporter compared the atmosphere in Wukan to that of the Paris Commune, a veteran Hong Kong journalist reminisced about Beijing in the spring of 1989, before the crackdown on Tiananmen. He described then an almost intoxicating sense of unity and generosity, where cab drivers drove protesters for free and thieves vowed to switch professions, buoyed  by a feeling that all was good and possible in the fleeting moment.”

This article is from Foreign Policy

The Spirit of Wukan

by Rachel Beitarie

December 23, 2011

Wukan,China – Peasants do not have a good record of facing off with the Communist Party. Rural standoffs usually end with the arrest of the ringleaders and an increased security presence for the remaining residents. Yet on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 22, residents of the embattled village of Wukan scored a major achievement in their 11-day stand-off with local government, securing the release of one of the village’s three detained leaders, the other two were released today.

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.

Wukan, China: Open revolt against land grabs and corruption

A fierce rebellion is taking place in Southern China’s Guangdong province. The village of Wukan has evicted the officials from the corrupt Chinese Communist Party. Some reports claim the village is completely free of party control. Even so, the village seems to be receiving solidarity in the form of food and supplies from nearby towns.

For months, villagers in Wukan have been protesting against the government’s seizure of land for commercial purposes and against corruption in general. The people of Wukan are demanding the government return the body of Xue Jinbo, who died after being abducted. Jinbo was negotiating land agreements between the village and the party.

Since the late 1970s, the Chinese people have suffered as the gains made under the country’s socialist period (1949-1976), have been destroyed by capitalist policies. Hundreds of millions have been displaced and thrown into insecurity, while inequality has skyrocketed. Many in the cities have become fabulously wealthy, while millions endure sweatshop conditions and rural areas have been left behind. The revolt in Wukan suggests farmers and workers may not stand for this situation for much longer. 

“It is right to rebel” — Mao Tse-Tung