Guangxi Villagers Clash With Authorities Over Family Planning Measures

By RADIO FREE ASIA
May 26, 2008

HONG KONG—Thousands of villagers have clashed with police in recent days in the southwestern Chinese region of Guangxi over harsh measures they say are being used by local family planning officials keen to keep births down, villagers said.

An employee of Guangxi Family Planning Committee confirmed the riots. “There are indeed riots, but we are not authorized to make any public announcement,” the official told RFA’s Mandarin service. “It's hard to say who's to blame for what happened. The incidents are still under investigation.”

Tensions rose in Ziliang township, Rong county, after police raided households that had given birth to an additional child without permission, detaining elderly family members and confiscating all their possessions, villagers told RFA's Cantonese service.

Residents of Shabei village gathered outside the government buildings in Ziliang, sparking clashes with riot squads from the People's Armed Police sent in to control them. “Around 10 people were detained for disturbing public order, and at least 10 people were injured,” a villager surnamed Yuen said.

Yuen said the raid took place after a concerted attempt by villagers from Shabei, Wangmao, Shuiming, and Nabo to send representatives to Beijing to lodge an official complaint against their local family planning department. But he said all the villages were under guard by riot police, with police stopping people at all public transport stations, asking questions.

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