China state press says officials uncover thousands of illegal land grabs

Source: AFP

BEIJING (AFP) - Authorities in China have uncovered 32,000 more cases of illegal land grabs during a crackdown on one of the major factors behind rising social unrest across the country, state press reported Tuesday.

The amount of land unlawfully seized from its rightful owners totalled 233,000 hectares (575,500 acres), Xinhua news agency cited the Minister of Land and Resources, Xu Shaoshi, as saying on Monday.

The land grabs were uncovered during a 100-day operation by the ministry, which is still ongoing, according to Xinhua.

This was in addition to 130,000 cases of illegal land grabs last year, an increase of 17.3 percent from 2005, according to previously released government figures.


Read more: http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/071120061552.aslc12eo.html

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i see traces of democracy advancing...
one thing really would make chinese overwhelming: democracy would fulfill the economic progress and growth and make an end with landlords.

this is CYA (cover your ass) plain and simple.

The natives are growing restless because low-level bureaucrats are siezing farmers lands and selling them for a helluva profit to equally corrupt businesses. The higher-ups have so far turned a blind eye or actively engaged in this themselves. There have been MULTIPLE riots/mini uprisings because of this and they have been brutally suppressed. The farmers will take a lot of abuse but now its reaching the tipping point. As such, the central gov't realizes its more prudent to appease the 700 million peasants by "cracking down" on land seizures than to keep their underlings happy with free money. The Chinese fear rebellion above all else.

The former premier Zhang Zemin once said "Western-style democracy is a blind alley." He meant it. China will remain a one-party socialist nation until the people have had enough and start a rebellion. That day, although getting closer, is still a LONG way off.