…in China

Fresh protests against the national one child policy are spreading in Guangxi. People are being driven to exasperation and it is feared that there could be an outbreak of violent social unrest, but the authorities maintain that they are merely applying state law.

May 29th in Yangmei, eastern Rongxian, and several thousand people ransacked the main government office demanding that fines extorted for the violation of the country’s one child policy be returned.  Vehicles were set on fire and about 100 police were called in.  Some protesters were injured or detained.

The same day in nearby Lingshan residents smashed government office building windows, and police later arrested some protesters. Other less violent protests also took place in at least 8 other cities in the county. Yesterday extra troops were called in to maintain order in the area.

Sate agency Xinhua Citing local police, said the riots took place but were instigated by a few unidentified people. However a Yangmei told the South China Morning Post that “It’s a self-organised protest. Nobody is telling us what to do. We have put up with their abuse for too long. Now we want to express our anger”.