[full article http://www.iht.com/IHT/TODAY/THU/IN/china.2.html Paris, Thursday, August 31, 2000 Farmer Unrest Erupts in China Rioters Protest Heavy Tax Burden and Corruption By John Pomfret Washington Post Service BEIJING - Tens of thousands of farmers in a southern Chinese province have rioted, attacked government buildings and looted the homes of government officials in a protest against fees and taxes, local officials confirmed Wednesday. The rebellion, which pitted farmers armed with sticks and tools against government security forces early this month, underscored the troubles of China's farmers, their heavy tax burden and the fact that rural incomes in China - after years of increases - have fallen for four years in a row. Uprisings and riots are now common in China's cities and countryside alike as workers and farmers come face to face with a slowing economy and a government that is trying to extract more taxes and fees from a shrinking economic pie. Corruption, also rampant, plays a role, too, as many local officials use tax revenue practically as a private bank account. Officials from Fengcheng, a city in Jiangxi Province, confirmed that farmers from several townships rioted for five days this month. They said the riots had been quelled without any fatalities. Officials confirmed a report by a Hong Kong-based human rights organization, issued Tuesday, that the rebellion had started in the village of Yuandu and spread to neighboring towns. In Yuandu, 2,000 farmers ransacked offices of the township government Aug. 17, and some also attacked homes of government officials and party leaders, according to the Center for Human Rights and Democracy in China. The center said the disorder had spread to neighboring townships and involved about 20,000 farmers.
