Seven detained after arson attack kills Shandong villager in latest China land dispute violence
Villagers angered by suspicions that officials protected or colluded with thugs
Seven suspects accused of killing a 63-year-old villager in an arson attack have been arrested in Shandong province, in the latest incidence of violence related to land disputes.
Accounts that were soon censored online also alleged that local armed policemen had been sent to confiscate Geng’s body from his family. Geng’s body was cremated a day later, according to Chinese media reports.
This allegation, which the government promptly denied, angered villagers who accused local officials of colluding with the suspects.
Villagers in Dujiatuan, which is administered by Pingdu, had been taking turns guarding their farms at night, fearing they would be seized by gangs hired by property developers. In the early hours of Friday, the tent where Geng and three others slept was set on fire. Geng died and ther others were injured.
Pingdu police allege that a man surnamed Du, an executive of a local real estate developer, and a village head surnamed Cui, masterminded the attack, according to their statement.
Cui and Du were accused of hiring several others to carry out the attack, according to the police statement.
