China Blames Hong Kong Media For 'Inciting' Rebel Village Protests

An official in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong has accused the Hong Kong media of "inciting, directing, and organizing" protests in the rebel village of Wukan after thousands of residents barricaded their streets and protested the detention of their leader at the weekend.

Ren Shishuo, head of the press office of the city-level People's Congress in Shanwei, which administers Wukan, accused journalists from the former British colony of playing a part in fueling tensions in Wukan at a news conference on Tuesday, official media reported.

"External news outlets like the Apple Daily and Initium Media, among others, have been inciting, planning, and directing activities in Wukan village," Ren told reporters.

"We will be pursuing measures according to the law," Ren added, without elaborating.

State media also carried news of the "confession" of detained former ruling Chinese Communist Party village secretary Lin Zuluan, as the authorities moved to tamp down public discussion of the renewed protests in the village, which was once touted as an example of grass-roots democracy by China's tightly controlled media.

Lin was detained on Friday at his Wukan home ahead of a planned public meeting to discuss further protests over farmland which has yet to be returned to local residents in spite of promises made following clashes in 2011.

Some 3,000 local residents took to the streets, waving banners and signing petitions for his release, as well as continuing the campaign for the return of their lost land.

Taped 'confession'

In what has become a familiar pattern in today's China, Lin was shown in a video released by the authorities, "confessing" to the bribery charges during the investigation.

"Due to my negligence and ignorance of our laws, I accepted bribes from those involved in livelihood and procurement projects, which is my biggest criminal offense," Lin says in the video. "I confess this to the procuratorate."

Lin reportedly also left a message on his wife's phone after his detention, which said: "Don't pay any attention to the rubbish people are saying. Corruption will out."

Lin's grandson Lin Liyi was also detained on Monday after talking to international media, according to the family.

Lin's wife Yang Zhen confirmed in a brief conversation on Tuesday that Lin Liyi was also detained by police.

"That's right," she said. "It was yesterday."

Land dispute

Sunday's demonstrations reignited a bitter land dispute that saw days of street protests and clashes in 2011, after which the Guangdong provincial authorities took the villagers' side, overruling authorities in nearby Lufeng city, which administers Wukan more directly.

Wukan residents say the authorities have still made no move to restore land sold out from under the villagers by the previous party secretary, who was charged with corruption and removed from his post in 2011.

Tensions remained high in Wukan on Tuesday, where large numbers of riot police are standing guard over the main road into the village, residents said.

"There are a lot of [police] outside the village," a resident who declined to be named told RFA. "It's pretty difficult for anyone to get in here."

"This wouldn't be happening if they'd resolved [the land dispute]," he said.

Internet blocked

Meanwhile, there were signs that local authorities may have imposed blocks and filters to prevent residents from using social media to publicize their protest or communicate with the outside world, sources told RFA.

"Some people continued petitioning today," a resident surnamed Zhao said. "It's about a half-hour walk from Wukan to the [Lufeng] city government, so a lot people were exhausted because the temperature is over 30 degrees Celsius today."

"The internet is very erratic right now," said Zhao, who added that he "didn't dare" to join the protesters on Tuesday.

Exiled former Wukan resident and protest leader Zhuang Liehong, who fled to the United States in the wake of the last protests, said he had had problems receiving messages from the village.

"I think the authorities are blocking the internet in the village right now, because I've heard hardly anything from people there," Zhuang said. "This is in huge contrast to the situation yesterday and the day before."

Zhuang added: "I'm basically not seeing any posts on WeChat from people in the village. There are two telecom vehicles there specifically to monitor phone conversations and online activities."

No hope for now

Shaanxi-based rights activist Fan Zhenyi, who has been supporting the Wukan protests from afar, said the authorities already seem to have a stranglehold on the situation.

"It looks as if their movement has no hope of succeeding for the time being," Fan said. "But it has still had a huge impact on the broader civil rights movement."

"It can perhaps act as a precedent for other civil rights movements that want to use the law to challenge the Communist Party over the protection of their rights," he said.

Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wen Yuqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.