AnarWiki/markdown/Wukan_Land_Defense_(2011).md

The Wukan Land Defense refers to a series of violent protests (arguably
an uprising) that occured in the small town of Wukan, China in 2011 over
government corruptions and confiscation of commons by the government
without compensation.

## Background

Wukan is a coastal Chinese fishing village with a population of
approximately 13,000. Located in the southeastern province of Guangdong,
Wukan rose to international prominence in 2011 when villagers began
protesting against corruption at the city level and unfair compensation
for land seizure. Villagers claim that, since 1998, more than 400
hectares of land had been seized without compensation and that corrupt
Lufeng city officials have skimmed more than 110 million U.S. dollars
from commercial land sale.

Fed up with the lack of transparency, communication, and perceived
corruption, villagers engaged in a sit in protest outside of Lufeng
government offices on 21 September, 2011 (Wednesday). Official reports
indicate that around 50 villagers protested peacefully and held banners
and signs.

As more villagers arrived on the scene, the crowd became more
aggressive. Villagers blocked roads, damaged vehicles and equipment at a
nearby industrial park, and “clashed with the police.” It is unclear if
these clashes indicate violent action or who instigated the fighting –
most reports from villagers indicate that the police are responsible. Of
the protesters, three villagers were arrested.

Thursday 22 September 2011 about 200 villagers “besieged the police
station” to demand the release of those arrested the day before.
Villagers reported that more than 400 police officers and “hired thugs”
attacked the villagers “indiscriminately.” A villager claims that police
and “thugs” were “like mad dogs, beating everyone they saw.”

On Friday, the third day of protest, the Lufeng city government released
a statement claiming “hundreds of villagers attacked government
buildings” and that more than one dozen police had been injured in the
clashes. The police retreated from the scene for several days under the
direction of Guangdong party chief Wang Yang. Wang claimed he was
willing to make a settlement with the villagers in exchange for a return
to harmony. Some domestic Chinese political analysts believed he was
only buying time to preserve his reputation until the next year, when he
planned to be selected for a high level Politburo office.

Riot police and other officials returned to Lufeng four days after
abandoning their posts during the climax of the riots. The government
agreed to negotiate with a group of thirteen democratically elected
representatives from Wukan. Two months later (December) the appointments
were made by the government. However, before any negotiations could be
completed, five of the representatives were arrested. The arrests took
place on 9 December, 2011.

Of those arrested, Xue Jinbo died under mysterious circumstances on 11
December. The police claim that Xue died of a heart attack after
admitting to damaging property and disrupting local services. However,
his family disputes this claim. After being called in to view the body,
Xue’s family was not allowed to take photographs or videos. They claim
that his corpse showed signs of torture – lacerations all over the body,
blood caked around the nostrils, and thumbs broken and twisted back –
and that they have no family history of heart problems.

Starting on 12 December, villagers held daily protest meetings in Wukan.
These protests continued throughout mid-December with villagers hoping
that central government would intervene and assist in the investigation.

On 14 December, after Xue’s death became widely known, the protests
intensified. Villagers stormed the police station. After evacuating,
police officers blockaded the city and cut off access to the surrounding
roads. 1000 armed officers attempted to regain control of the city, but
were unsuccessful. The siege continued.

On 16 December, the government released a statement claiming that it
would temporarily stop the sale of agricultural land to developers, but
would not return the body of Xue Jinbo. At the same time, 7000 civilians
from both inside and outside of Wukan gathered for a memorial vigil on
both sides of the police barricade.

The government attempted to sway the villager’s opinions by offering
rations of rice and cooking oil to anyone willing to switch to the
government side of the conflict. They earned 100 supporters, but their
efforts were shut down by villagers.

## Results

A breakthrough came on 21 December, when officials agreed to meet the
villager’s basic demands. If the villagers cancelled their planned
march, Xue’s body would be released and those arrested in the conflict
would be freed. The provincial government, under Wang, also agreed to
make the village’s financial records more public, to reevaluate local
officials accused of corruption, and to redistribute the land which had
been confiscated by the local government. The protesters agreed to Wang
Yang’s terms and ceased their action. On 1 February 2012 democratic
elections were held in Wukan featuring a secret ballot. The villagers
elected more than 100 committee members, including protest leader Lin
Zuluan and Xue Jinbo’s daughter, Jianwan. According to The Wall Street
Journal’s Josh Chin the election was “free of the Communist Party
meddling that typically mars Chinese election results.”

Some observers credit the conflict’s peaceful resolution to Wang Yang,
whose “Wukan Approach” serves as a major aspect of his policies
throughout the province. Others criticize Wang and believe that his
détente was an attempt to keep his hands clean until the politburo
nominations were completed. Wang was ultimately not appointed to the
Politburo Standing Committee but he continues to use the “Wukan
Approach” when it is applicable.

Additionally, the Wukan protests have served as a model followed by
other Chinese protesters. The brutality and harsh crackdown that has
marked “mass events” in China’s recent past have largely been replaced
by extended détentes and somewhat more successful negotiations.

## See Also

  - [Cherán Revolution](Cherán_Revolution "wikilink") - a similar event
    in Mexico that happened 5 months earlier.