Duty of local government to prevent violence

A 15-year-old student in Hanchuan, Central China's Hubei province, was reported as saying he was "recruited by the local government" to help control residents whose house was being forcibly demolished, during which he was beaten and had to be taken to hospital. The local government responded that "municipal-level officials" did not participate in the incident. Comments:

Reports say that about 50 students, dressed in uniforms and holding shields with police logos, participated in a fight that took place during the demolition process. The real police were behind them, while the local government officials stood even further back. It seems local government officials are good at protecting themselves at the cost of ordinary people's security.

Shi Bing, a lecturer in English studies at Beijing Forestry University, via Sina micro blog, Nov 1

It is the role of the authorities to prevent violence and defend the law. In the case of Hanchuan, reports show that government staff appeared at the site of the forced demolition, but they simply stood by when the violence erupted. That's failure to fulfill their duties and the local government staff should be held accountable.

Beijing News, Nov 2

Almost none of the online comments showed sympathy for the 15-year-old student. That does not mean people have become cold; they just hate the local government in Hanchuan because of the forced demolitions and have disdain for those recruited to assist in the evil process. Higher authorities need to intervene to stop more such illegal activities from happening in the future.

Qianjiang Evening News, Nov 2