Popular elected Chinese village chief arrested on bribery charges

Residents continue daily protests in Wukan in support of Lin Zuluan, a month after he was first detained

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Lin Zuluan, head of the Chinese village of Wukan, who has been arrested on bribery charges. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Published: 12:20pm, 22 Jul 2016Updated: 11:36pm, 22 Jul 2016

Guangdong authorities formally arrested Wukan village chief Lin Zuluan on Thursday for alleged graft as defiant residents pressed on with their month-long protest in support of their elected leader.

The Shanwei government, which oversees Wukan, announced the arrest in an online statement.

But, a month after Lin, 70, was detained, villagers continued their daily demonstrations demanding his release.

“No matter how hard the authorities try to smear Lin’s character, our eyes are crystal clear,” one Wukan resident said. “Lin’s respected reputation is not something that can be distorted by some articles online ... That thousands of villagers are marching every day is testament to him. [The authorities] have underestimated the people of Wukan.”

Wukan villager Wei Yonghan gives a speech on June 20 in front of a group of his fellow villagers as they call for justice following a series of land grabs and also the release of their elected village chief, Lin Zuluan. Photo: Reuters

Wukan made international headlines in 2011 after massive protests by villagers against land seizures and corruption ended with the provincial government allowing them to directly elect their chief. The villagers of the remote fishing village had fought to regain more than 10 sq km of illegally occupied land. They reclaimed 1.3 sq km, but the rest remains in limbo.