South China Morning Post, Aug. 2
Police shoot villagers in land dispute, report says
by: Staff Reporter
Dozens of people in Shijiahe village in Zhengzhou, Henan province, were reportedly injured yesterday when police arrested "troublemakers" who had organised protests over land deals approved by village leaders.
Chinesenewsnet.com, an overseas-based Chinese affairs website, carried a message posted by a family member saying about 600 policemen surrounded the village in the early hours yesterday to arrest villagers who were identified as troublemakers.
The villagers had complained that village leaders had pocketed the proceeds from the land deals. "Armed with tear gas, shotguns, dogs and electric batons, the police confronted unarmed villagers who tried to stop them from taking the troublemakers away," the message said.
"As a result, more than 30 people suffered gunshot wounds and six were seriously hurt."
The message did not say how many villagers or "troublemakers" had been arrested but said the injured villagers were being treated in a hospital in Zhengzhou.
The report said the villagers opposed the land sale, which involved investment of as much as 40 million yuan.
