Villagers protesting mining operation kill police officer — Renhe, China
Angry villagers protesting a local mining operation in southwest China attacked security forces with machetes and clubs, leaving one policeman dead and 15 injured, local authorities said Friday.
The riot occurred on Wednesday when police were dispatched to a government building in Yunnan province’s Renhe township to try and persuade villagers staging a protest in front of the building to leave, authorities said.
“Suddenly villagers attacked the police with machetes and wooden clubs, leaving 16 injured, one of whom died later while receiving treatment,” said a statement released by the government of Lijiang — which oversees Renhe.
“During the incident, the police maintained a high level of restraint and not one villager was injured,” it added.
Earlier this month, locals from Xiaoganqing village complained that the development of a local coal mine was endangering their lands and demanded their homes be moved and that they be compensated, the statement said.
A spokeswoman for the Lijiang government told AFP those complaints went unanswered and so the villagers moved their protest to the Renhe government building, where they stayed one week until the violence on Wednesday. afp
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2012\04\21\story_21-4-2012_pg14_3
