Taishi Village, Guangdong

Taishi Village, near Panyu, southern Guangdong province, makes the front page of today's Guardian. Why? One of its reporters, Benjamin Joffe-Walt, was so badly physically manhandled on the outskirts of Taishi on Saturday evening (8 October, 2005) he feared for his life. One of his companions, democracy activist Lu Banglie, was beaten so badly he is most likely dead.
Murdered. [Update: alive]
Guardian: Joffe-Walt
Guardian: Jonathan Wattis
SCMP edition (10 October 2005): SCMP reporter Leu Siew Ying recounts how she and Radio France International reporter Abel Segretin were physically attacked (7 October, 2005) by thugs when they tried to enter Taishi Village (paid; no link).
What's going on? Villagers believe the village chief and associated cronies have pocketed most of the money from the sale of what was previously communally-owned local land. We are not talking about a few bob here: this is US$12 million (HK$93,600,000).
The villagers have been protesting since July and want the village chief, Chen Jinsheng, removed, and a full and transparent accounting to take place. Chen and the local power structure are, however, having none of that. They are determined to make the villagers submit. During September, the authorities used water cannon on the protesting villagers and a China-wide online-forum frequented by locals, academics, journalists and rights activists was shut down. Bribes and threats continue. This weekend, the local fat-cats upped the ante. More? Here.