Villagers Clash with Construction Workers at Site of

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000398 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS USDOC FOR 4420/ITA/MAC/MCQUEEN STATE ALSO PASS USTR USPACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SOCI ECON CH SUBJECT: Villagers Clash with Construction Workers at Site of Guangzhou's Future Biomedical Industry Park REFERENCE: A) Guangzhou 353; B) Guangzhou 322; C) Guangzhou 06 32380; D) Guangzhou 06 32306; E) Guangzhou 06 32264; F) Guangzhou 06 13564; G) Guangzhou 06 11879; H) Guangzhou 06 11684; I) Guangzhou 06 2194; J) Guangzhou 04 16347 (U) This document is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: One villager died and others were injured when a fight broke out between construction workers and villagers on Guanzhou island, the site of a planned biomedical industry park on the outskirts of Guangzhou. This incident comes one year after police arrested three villagers on the island following protests over land use and compensation. Guanzhou island is adjacent to University City, where villagers and homeowners have clashed with the government over land requisitions for a similar development project. END SUMMARY A Traffic Accident Blows Up -------------- ¶2. (U) On March 20, villagers gathered at a construction site after a dump truck driven by a construction worker hit a villager. The incident quickly escalated and at one point 30-40 workers with iron rods fought against the villagers, according to western and local media reports. One villager died and 15 villagers and workers were injured. Riot police closed off access roads to the island and arrested some of those involved. Construction has stopped on the island and police have visited twice to remove a memorial put up by villagers for the person who died. The district government has set up a special task force to investigate the incident. Site of Land Dispute -------------- ¶3. (U) Guanzhou island, located in south Guangzhou in a tributary of the Pearl River, is the site of a planned biomedical industry park. The city government requisitioned 330 acres of land on the island several years ago and has demolished a number of homes since then. According to western and Hong Kong press reports, villagers continue to claim that the land seizure was illegal and the government provided compensation at rates below market value. The district government claims that some villagers moved onto the land after the purchase in order to extort money from the government. Police arrested three of the villagers last year following a protest on the island over the development plans and compensation. Ties to a Nearby Hot Spot -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Guanzhou Island is adjacent to a larger island that is home to Guangzhou's University City, a new development that includes 10 satellite university campuses and six sports stadiums. The University City project generated protests by villagers when it was initiated in 2003, leading to several violent confrontations. In addition to villagers, a community of 200 homeowners on the island, mainly artists, engineers, and professors, demonstrated against the land seizure and compensation rates (Reftel J). One of the homeowners, Samsun Wu, told Congenoff that government compensation was below market value and that their efforts to build a legal case went nowhere. (Famed human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who is now under house arrest, represented the group.) ¶5. (SBU) Approximately 400 villagers in two villages continue to live on the University City island in defiance of government orders. Police have forcibly removed the villagers' temporary shelters on several occasions, but the villagers returned each time. According to Wu, villagers on Guanzhou island and the University City island are in communication with each other and likely share experiences in how to deal with authorities. Comment: A Sensitive Subject -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Although a traffic accident is the official explanation for this confrontation, villagers' lingering resentment over the conditions of the land deal seems to be behind it. Protests over land seizures in Guangdong are a regular occurrence (see reftels), particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas such as the Pearl River Delta. Without an effective legal system to serve as an outlet, farmers and homeowners are often left frustrated. Local officials are under coming under increased pressure to avoid these types of situations as the central government emphasizes social stability GUANGZHOU 00000398 002 OF 002 under the principle of a "harmonious society." As the rural population becomes more interconnected and thus more aware of their options, however, they may be less willing to back down. GOLDBERG