Investigators probe fatal Yunnan dispute

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-21 20:49

KUNMING - Two work teams started to probe unrest at a rubber plant that left two people dead and dozens injured last weekend, the provincial government of southwest China's Yunnan Province said on Monday.

Vice governor Cao Jianfang told the teams to visit farmers, hear their complaints and appeals and find a solution that was good for farmers and for the long-term benefit of the plant.

Cao met with officials of the provincial forestry bureau, agriculture bureau, trade and economic commission, and of Pu'er city on Monday. The meeting decided to set up the teams to investigate the incident.

Local sources said that a dispute over the distribution of profits had triggered the unrest. The rubber plant and farmers disagreed on access to forested land and ownership of the rubber plantation. The conflict over profits has been exacerbated by rising rubber prices.

On July 15, the Menglian County government sent a work team to deal with the conflict.

Unrest broke out on Saturday, when a crowd tried to prevent police from taking away people who were described as suspects in illegal activities in the conflict.

Local authorities said the police were attacked by more than 400 people and used their guns. The shots killed two local people, and 13 others and 41 police were injured in the incident. Several police cars were damaged.

In a written instruction, the secretary of the provincial committee of the Communist Party of China Bai Enpei told officials to listen attentively to the complaints and appeals of residents, make great efforts to help injured people and console relatives of the dead to prevent the matter from escalating.

Governor Qin Guangrong has ordered sending a work team to the unrest scene quickly to help the local government address the issue.