Thirteen villagers from Guangdong Province have been jailed for
up to seven years for their part in a series of riots last
year.
The villagers, all from Haifeng County, Shanwei City, were
convicted of illegally manufacturing explosives, disturbing the
public order and illegally assembling to disrupt transport
services, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Huang Xirang, described as one the riots' chief leaders, was
jailed for seven years.
Huang Xijun and four other villagers were jailed for three to
six years and Zhang Qingyu was jailed for three years.
Six villagers, including Wei Zunzhan and Huang Xiran, received
three years jail with four years' suspension.
Six others who stood trial were acquitted.
Meanwhile local officials responsible for the area also received
Party or government penalties.
Shanwei's Vice-Party Secretary Liu Jinsheng, who is in charge of
the city's law and order, received a "stern warning" from the
Party.
The city's vice-mayor and police chief Li Min and director of
the city's Bureau of Construction Chen Huinan both received
warnings from the Party.
Sitting on Wednesday Haifeng County Court heard how during May
and June last year, Huang Xijun, Huang Xirang and Zhang Qingyu had
plotted to disrupt the Shanwei Jiangang Earthwork Company's quarry
at the Gongtashan stonepit near Dongzhou Village.
On June 30 and July 1 last year they encouraged more than 100
villagers to break into the quarry, beating the quarrymen and
smashing equipment.
And in December, they organized a gang of more than 100
villagers who attacked an electric power plant, assaulting
policemen on guard and hurling explosives at the building.
According to a statement issued by the information office of
Shanwei municipal government in December 2005, the policemen fired
warning shots but accidentally killed and injured some villagers in
the dark.
(China Daily May 26, 2006)