Gancheng villagers protested at government facilities Monday, saying that local officials hadn't protected local students from the Baoshang students. The school dispute isn't directly connected with the claims of corruption, it seems to have been the last straw for Gancheng villagers, who the correspondent found had lost confidence in their local government.

The power was off, schools and shops were closed, and the streets were largely deserted in Gancheng Village, Hainan Province on Thursday following a series of clashes with the neighboring village of Baoshang that have left one person dead and 13 injured.

Days of violence

During Monday's protest, vehicles were smashed and a local government building and the police station were set on fire. During that protest, two bystanders were injured. That protest set off almost a week of violence, which resulted in the following incidents:

-- Late Tuesday night, Gancheng villagers went to Baoshang and scuffled with residents there. One Gancheng resident was seriously hurt in that dispute, and four Baoshang villagers were slightly injured. At that point, power facilities in Baoshang were damaged, cutting off power to Gancheng.

Yang Bin, head of Gancheng Township police station, and his deputy Fang Xiaohong, were dismissed Tuesday.

-- There was yet more trouble Wednesday afternoon, as residents from both villages clashed in Baoshang, leaving one person dead of stab wounds and six injured.

Tension remained high Thursday. Feng Wenhu, a local retired middle school teacher in Gancheng, said both villages were on alert against new attacks from each other and new violence could break out at any time.

There was no word when the schools in Gancheng would reopen, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2009)