You Go Boy

[Jim Johnson]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10565868.stm


China 'rocket farmer' wins cash in demolition dispute

Page last updated at 06:41 GMT, Friday, 9 July 2010 07:41 UK

By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Shanghai Yang Youde firing home-made cannon from his home in Yuhan, China 6 June 2010 Yang Youde fired rockets at developers aiming to demolish his home

A farmer in China who fired improvised rockets at demolition teams says he has been rewarded with a generous compensation package.

Yang Youde, a 56-year old farmer, was told his land was needed to build new offices.

The developers offered him compensation but he did not think it was enough.

The case highlights the efforts some Chinese are taking to preserve their property rights in the face of forced relocation by government officials.

Mr Youde built a watchtower. When demolition teams arrived, he fired home made rockets towards them, repelling them twice.
Attitude shift

His actions were reported in the Chinese media and by foreign journalists. But local officials were very unhappy.

His elder brother who helped him guard the land was attacked and severely injured at the end of last month.

The authorities deny they were involved.

But Mr Yang has told Chinese state media that since the incident the officials have changed their attitude and become more cooperative.

His lawyer told the BBC the farmer will now receive a compensation package worth more than $112,000 (£74,000), five times the amount offered initially by the developers.

His case has drawn attention to the so-called "nail households" - a phrase used to describe people who refuse to be beaten down by pressure from the authorities.

Many have taken extreme measures to try to protect their property from being seized by officials or developers.

In March, two elderly men in Jiangsu province set themselves on fire to try to stop the local government demolishing their pig farm.

A woman in Shanghai threw petrol bombs at a demolition team last year to protest at their efforts to tear down her home.

Forced evictions are one of the most common causes of unrest in China.

Some lawyers in China say new legislation is needed to ensure that forced demolitions are properly supervised to safeguard the rights of property owners.

[Tom Sawyer]

In the land of the free he would have been killed or if taken alive, got a 30 year sentence for the "destructive device".

[Jim Johnson]

Land of the free, there's some bull shit.

[Tom Sawyer]

Land of the free, there's some bull shit.

The Land Formerly Known as Free ^TM

[thinkliberty]

Land of the free, there's some bull shit.

The Land Formerly Known as Free ^TM

I don't think it was ever free. George Washington killed farmers for making whiskey when he didn't get a cut of the profits... They didn't give in to extortion so they had to die.

The country is defective by design.

[dalebert]

Some lawyers in China say new legislation is needed to ensure that forced demolitions are properly supervised to safeguard the rights of property owners.

There's some 1984 double-speak right there.  Both those phrases right in the same sentence.

[Jim Johnson]

Some lawyers in China say new legislation is needed to ensure that forced demolitions are properly supervised to safeguard the rights of property owners.

There's some 1984 double-speak right there.  Both those phrases right in the same sentence.

I also deemed that line to be an outrageous affront to anyone except a politician.