Deadly Conflict in Yangjiang, China

It’s a tense scene in China’s Yangjiang City in Guangdong Province. Farmers are fighting to keep their land as local officials are trying to take it over to build a new entertainment complex.

On June 12th, between 50 and 60 people arrived in the fields of the town of Dongcheng to force farmers to give up their land for a new development project. Locals say more than 20 people were killed by police in the conflict along with 50 others who were seriously injured.

“50 to 60 people are beaten in which they have concussion and are all in Yangjiang City People’s Hospital and Yangdong County People’s Hospital.”

Hundreds had minor and serious injuries. Dozens detained.

And on the morning of June 15th, Yangdong authorities sent in more people to take the farmers’ land.

“Right now there are 50 to 60 people with batons and long knifes over there, now the bulldozers are filling up the farm land by force.”

All this chaos is over the construction of a new entertainment complex.

Since the beginning of Novermber 2007, Yangdong County officials have used the “Yangdong Binhai New City” project as reason to forcibly take more than 1,400 acres of farmland.

Villagers say there’s no legal documents backing up the land grabs. Local authorities say they’ll continue to arrest anyone who stands in their way.

(NTDTV)