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Peter Parks / AFP - Getty Images
Zhang Bincha, a 44-year old resident of Wukan, cheers after voting in village elections on Saturday. Residents of a small village in China went to the polls in a leadership election being hailed as a milestone for those demanding more say in the running of the one-party state.
WUKAN, China -- Residents of a southern Chinese fishing village gathered on Saturday to elect a new administrative authority that many hail as a model for greater grassroots democracy in China following an uncompromising standoff over land grabs and abuse of power.
Wukan, nestled on the Guangdong coast with a picturesque harbor flanked by hills, has emerged from nowhere as a symbol of rural activism and electoral reforms nationwide, embracing rare freedoms granted by provincial authorities in December to defuse a major flashpoint.
Anger at corrupt local officials turned to fury last September when villagers ransacked the Wukan government offices. Things boiled over again in December, when villagers drove out authorities and barricaded themselves in for 10 days before provincial officials stepped in to resolve the dispute, offering new elections.
Villagers defiant as government creates new narrative
Unlike the many flareups over land grabs and corruption across China every year, Wukan residents have now moved beyond organized protest to organized politics in a gritty bid to win back illegally sold farmland and safeguard future rights.
Some of the 12,000 residents gathered outside a school on an overcast morning, eager to cast ballots for candidates vying for seats on a seven-person village committee. Many are backing former protest leaders, including those jailed in December.
While village elections have been permitted for decades, Wukan has pushed the boundaries, led by a visionary rebel village leader turned party secretary and a vanguard of young activists able to unify the village against higher authorities.
PhotoBlog: Chinese villagers defy government in standoff over land rights
"For the first time in decades, this is an opportunity for democracy. Both myself and the villagers like this," said Lin Zuluan, Wukan's respected 67-year-old party secretary, a candidate to lead the village committee.
Anger over land grabs has captured the attention of China's leadership. Premier Wen Jiabao recently vowed to make village committee elections an authentic channel for public opinion, acknowledging China has failed to give adequate protection against rural land seizures.
Rebellious Chinese village takes baby steps toward democracy
"The root of the problem is that the land is the property of the farmers, but this right has not been protected in the way it should be," said Wen during a trip to Guangdong in February.
The Wukan experience has proved a beacon for civil rights activists, academics and journalists, who have flocked to the village to observe the polls.
"Wukan is an example for us," said Hua Youjuan, a village chief from Huangshan in eastern China, where villagers have also rallied against corruption.
"What Wukan has achieved through its solidarity is something we can learn from."
Behind-the-scenes influence
In a sign of growing international interest, the U.S. government sent an observer to the poll. "We continue to monitor developments in Wukan closely," a U.S. diplomat who asked not to be identified said.
The polls follow a months-long struggle that saw villagers clash with riot police, ransack government offices, expel a corrupt old guard and form a self-administrative authority. It all came to a head in December, when villagers barricaded themselves in against riot police.
Peter Parks / AFP - Getty Images
Residents of Wukan fill in forms during voting in village elections on Saturday.
Guangdong provincial authorities, led by ambitious Communist Party leader Wang Yang, intervened, naming the rebel leader Lin as party secretary in a surprising concession.
Behind the scenes, authorities at the city and county level have been exerting a high degree of control. Some fear clans and allies of former village chief Xue Chang, whom many accuse of pocketing millions from selling off collective farmland, are vying to maintain influence.
Journalist beatings erase Wukan optimism
Xue Jianwan, the daughter of Xue Jinbo, a protest leader who was abducted and died in police detention in December, said senior local officials recently urged her to drop from running as a candidate for the village committee.
She said taking part in the election might mean she could no longer continue in her job as a teacher given electoral rules.
"The more they don't want me to take part, the more I want to," said Xue in an interview before election day.
Other young leaders, who played a key role in publicising corruption that saw hundreds of hectares of Wukan farmland sold off in illegal deals, have spoken of extensive surveillance, police pressure and fears of reprisals.
In February, Wukan elected an election committee to oversee Saturday's proceedings. Now the stakes are higher.
The seven-member village committee, including a village chief and two deputies, will have power over local finances and the sale and apportioning of collectively owned village land.
Residents hope the frequent practice of higher officials controlling lucrative land deals will become a thing of the past.
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I hope these villagers know what they are doing because the most likely outcome will be similar to that in Syria where they get a serious beat down by the Chinese Government...
Hopefully it's not staged!!!!!
China will tollerate a certain amount to promote the illusion of freedom in China and show they are tollerant of their citizens.
Forgive you do not understand what you see.
The Chinese Communist Party will let these "little flowers" blossom and then co-opt the leadership with privileges and benefits so as to keep it all "under one umbrella", the CCP.
Id say that in about 100 years we might see some "independent" parties around in China....
The CCP is a very jealous slaveholder..
Kill them all.
U.S. government sent an observer to the poll. "We continue to monitor developments in Wukan closely," a U.S. diplomat who asked not to be identified said.
Can the Americans please F Off just to put it lightly....
I agree. Who are we to tell the rest of the world how to run their countries? We have widespread poverty, we refuse to ensure universal health care, our government ignores our own constitution, we have a very high murder rate, we allow our politicians to be bought by corporations...not exactly a good example.
The "widespread" poverty is not due to a lack of free education, free food, free housing, and free medical care for the poor, but rather it's due to lack of motivation. There is nothing wrong with the young of "poor" families except the lack of motivation to use the FREE resources, especially education, to move up the income ladder.
there is no we when it comes to what the US government is doing, especially internationally, they are their own organism almost completely independent of influence by "the people"
Warren- Without America's consistent defense of universal rights and democracy, and working to build a world where such freedoms were possible, something like what is happening in Wukan wouldn't even be possible. So go F*&^ yourself...we're not going to be ashamed anymore for trying to make this world a better place for everyone.
the chinese gov normally waits till no one is looking then they smack you down is ways you would perceive as unthinkable. probably cut any assistance, benefits and make many more things unobtainable to send a very real message of, "you cant win in the long run". and poison them of course. thats the mentality of the chinese. cheat, lie, steal, copy.
I almost envy people in situations like this. In America the tyrants use money not a gun barrel to exploit the masses. It's all "clean" and nobody gets hurt. They at least realize they are getting screwed and are doing something about it. With just a few people buying our wanna be presidents via super pacs are we in any way more free than the Chinese? I still say material things are like a opiate to soothe us into complacency.
I think you have hit the nail on the head, stonepipe. People are so complacent in this country.
I am like your name, I too am homesick for my country- good luck to you.
Hopefully, the primary party will envision this as a justifiable change and an opportunity to root our corrupt and illegal actions by high ranking leaders, who seem to move without the best wishes of their people - remember it was Mao who brought land to the people, and not one official deserves the right to sell of land that belongs to the community. Hooray for the people of this small community and hooray for China for facing up to a serious loss of face.
I hate the way you leftist defeatists try to beat down Democracy wherever you can, you should be happy for these people, they have taken a step toward freedom, the Chinese People are cool, very nice, pleasant and humorous people, their current 'ahem government does not fit the Chinese people.
I say YAY! for you Chinese Folks, Go Democracy! Go Freedom!
So, I have read everyone's post about five times, where are the leftist defeatists posts?
"So, I have read everyone's post about five times, where are the leftist defeatists posts?"
What a crock of @!$%#. It's not often that I choose to ignore someone based on a single post, but you've proven that your juvenile attitude is too much to be overcome, that you're incapable of independent thought. It's time for you to rejoin your pack of lemmings.
LOL Sichuan, stop sounding so darn condescending. Nowhere was stonepipe acting juvenile. Rather, your response is juvenile and your inability to communicate with others without sounding like a jerk is quite childish. ;)
sichuan-you hurt my feelings. If you chose to ignore me why did you post?
Oh, I almost forgot. Blow me.
well, i'm a 'leftist' whatever that means and i think what is happening there is wonderful and despite roadblocks these people had, they prevailed. i think it is just the beginning of the Chinese 'spring.' it may take awhile so we shouldn't get too excited, but then nothing good happens overnight.
maybe you should think twice before you make broad statements about people you don't know. not only am i a unapologetic liberal, i'm also a christian who believes in the 'golden rule.' and i believe in not judging others just because i don't agree with their lifestyles, politics or beliefs. i understand that not all conservatives are radical, and if we could all just take off our 'hate' blinders we would see that most of us are after the same thing: a better life for ourselves and our children. i work in a grocery store and i can tell you from personal experience that all those young people who everyone thinks are so lazy are not-most of them would be glad to work if they could find a job. we have several very hard working kids in my store that are also paying their own ways through school! and, it might surprise you to know that most of them are quite liberal in their way of thinking.
there is no political leaning when it comes to being lazy or trying to take advantage of the government. it is a part of human nature that there will always be someone trying to play the system. we should do our best to keep these people in check without hurting those who are truly trying to make their lives better. don't be so closed minded.
Democracy doesn't actually exist anywhere on earth.
If this wasn't so funny, I'd try to take it seriously. Maybe Donnie Yen or Jackie Chan will come in and save the day for democracy in China. Now we'll have to hear about Chinese Spring or something equally stupid for years.
You can bet the totalitarian regime had plenty of infiltrators and plain clothes cops in on that election.
Social evolution world wide gravitates toward democracy. The socialism vs capitalism pendulum will swing back and forth in order to provide the most prosperity for the greatest number of people, but in any case, democracy is the bedrock of prosperity and well-being for humans.
In a sign of growing international interest, the U.S. government sent an observer to the poll. "We continue to monitor developments in Wukan closely," a U.S. diplomat who asked not to be identified said. ================= And how is that unnecessary provocation helpful ? That only makes the local democracy activists look like US puppets.
It is not socialism vs capitalism but rather totalitarism vs. democracy. Socialism and capitalism are economic systems. Totalitarism and democracy are political systems. China has a totalitaristic political system with a mixture of socialism and capitalism and it is corrupt. The U.S. has mostly a democratic political system with mostly a capitalistic economic system. We may not have as much corruption as China but we still have corruption. The difference is that in dictatorships it is easier to hide the corruption while in democracies it is somewhat more transparent. The reality is that greed is a central part of the human condition and no matter which economic or political systems you set up, it will show its head. Without decent laws and transparency there is simply no way to control it. Hopefully, this little village in China is able to keep it under control.
You have far, far more political corruption than China. Your government is completely controlled by traitors who serve a foreign and very hostile power that is determined to destroy America. They never miss any opportunity to serve their alien masters and further erode U.S. citizen’s rights as they shovel more taxpayer money to their overseas masters.
I live in China. I have been here for many years. There are more freedoms here in China than in the USA. The Chinese government is more direct and honest than the US government. America has the best democracy that money can buy, and money has bought it. The Wall Street bankers and other various scam artists including the “Israel First” criminals run the American government and they do not serve the interests of the American people. They serve their own kind. Democracy is not all it is cracked up to be.
Oh, so in China you can smoke MJ without being executed now?
I will be working as an election inspection in June and in November.
I wonder what the Chinese communist party will put as their first and what the Chinese people want as their first. And if the Chinese people want their first and got as their last, what will or what could they do?
I hope the reporter gave us the most important piece of information about this election: How many candidates are there for each of the post. If there is only one candidate for each post, this is not a election.
this is the 3rd serious pro democracy deal in China recently,,, the first was the dam construction that was changed and halted, then came googles, "crack", ahem??.. now this,,,are we seeing something unusual here??.. we think so,,,notice please,, it is always! the nepotism and corruption that takes down the tyrants,,,always!!,..one would think they could learn from reading history,, but they dont,, or very slowly if they do??..One must be very carefull when "observing" these changes,.."slowly,slowly, catchee monkee".. kind of deal seems to be the best,..this story??.. they threw out! the "old boy".old school".. corruption dealers, and now we will see some real action,,, and I dont think this will go violent,,, recent indications are that indeed,, China,s leaders!,, actually want this to happen,..but are not sure how to go about it,,,it is going to be interesting, and educational for us all,,,very kewl story,,,that is the thing with dense, old populations,,, small changes can have big effects,,,sort of E=MC2, kind of deal but with people,,,oh,, and the interenet,,, ha ha,,, you bet!!..SIC PARVIS MAGNA,, indeed!..."when you are defending the indefensible?, you are a dog barking at shadows"[old chinese proverb]
There's no real democracy in China. People who think otherwise are jailed and tortured. This poor woman will probably be beaten senseless for her efforts.
Every time the communist give a little more, hoping to keep the people happy, they are taking a step towards their demise. This is the utlimate outcome for any dictatorrhip UNLESS they keep arresting, torturing, killing, or driving out the people who activate or support change. The Communists either realize this is the peaceful and natural path to the future OR they really believe they can stay in power forever as long as they keep fooling the people. Look at China 60 years ago and it it NOTHING like the early or intermediate years under Mao Tse-Tung and the radical communists who imprisoned the entire country. We can only hope this path continues AND someday the Chinese people wake up and give Tibet back to Tibetans. Then, and only then, can the Chinese people be free.
It's all an illusion! Cameras leave, back to normal! Enough of these dog & pony shows.
Oh no! he is going to piss some people off
Remember Tiananmen Square..
Well it is good to know that there is a choice between Representative personnel. Even if there is only one party at the moment. There is some choice. What difference it is making is hard to tell because we don't live there. Just have to wait and see what the citizens say about the measures.
You have my vote and my support. Go for it. Enjoy the free and the fair of election. Enjoy the freedom of Speech. That is the best for the China and the best for the local government which is to make sure less corruption each time.
This represents Socialist-democracy Chinese-style (with Chinese characteristics). No blind copying of Western models. In many villages in China democratic elections are being held for many years already, as in Wukan that everybody knows so well. Socialist-democracy, with Socialism guiding and supervising democracy, so that peoples' interests is above corporate greed we see in the West that has turned the Western-style liberal democracy model into chaos in USA and Europe. You will see more Chinese-style creativity and innovation in the future. Welcome to the new world order. China doesn't have to play by Western rules. They can set new rules that can beat the old ossified ways of thinking.