Civil unrest in China
Perceived injustices, rising expectations, and an economic slowdown all seem to contribute to the kind of unrest feared by the political elite.Thousands riot in northwest China over a city center's demolition
"An angry crowd of 2,000 people rioted in northwest China's Gansu province over a government plan to demolish a downtown area, torching cars and attacking a local Communist Party office, injuring 60 officials, state-run media reported Tuesday...
Location of Longnan Prefecture (yellow) within Gansu province of China"The violence, one of the most marked instances of social unrest to grip China in recent months, was sparked by government plans to relocate the city of Longnan's administrative center after May's devastating earthquake, according to the Xinhua news agency.
"State-run press has reported on numerous pickets and demonstrations that have broken out across China in recent weeks...
"Activists warn that tensions over the sudden downturn in the Chinese economy could provoke similar public outbursts, even though police have made efforts not to immediately resort to violence in quelling the riots...
"Chinese economists say that rising wages throughout China have led many laborers to expect better working conditions and residents to demand more accountable government. 'The local government has become the front line of conflict,' said Hu Xingdou, an economics professor at the Beijing Institute of Technology.
"'But there is no channel to allow people to express their will. They lack the right to speak, the right to organize and unionize to represent their interest, therefore they can only use a irrational way by demonstrating or rioting to solve problems.'..."
Labels: China, economics, political culture
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:02 AM
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