Farmers Riot In China
(Samina Iqbal)
There were riots in a village Zhejiang in Eastern China by farmers against encroachment of industries on their lands which have created pollution and health problems. The 13 Chemical plants that have been created since 2002 produce fertilizers, pesticides and dyes etc. In the opinion of farmers, the waste from these factories is contaminating the drinking water of wells which is producing adverse effects on health of human beings and plants. The chemical plants are constantly discharging stinging gases resulting in the defects in stillborn and new born babies.
In China, the farmers don?t own the lands on which chemical factories and plants are being built; however, they receive 30 years leases from the China government. The government can reallocate the lands for chemical and industrial plants at any time, if the village committee gives the consent even if the farmers are not comfortable. In return, the farmers get the compensation but many of them are not satisfied as they don?t want these hazardous chemical plants on their lands at all. The situation is bad even to the extent that they can?t grow crops on their lands because of the poisonous substances in the ground water.
Land grabbing and rural land rights are big political issues in China where economic growth has escalated the frustration and dissatisfaction at prevailing corruption, environmental destruction and gap between rich and poor. This is despite the government?s commitments time and again to bridge the gap between urban rich and rural poor but violent demonstrations speak the opposite. There has been increase in protests and demonstrations by 15% this year with more than 3 million people taking active part. The provincial capitals experience roadblocks due to these protests once a week while in last November, thousands of farmers protested against a dam project which may render 100,000 people homeless in which as person died as well.
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