China needs clear laws governing local officials

Two years ago, Qian Yunhui, director of Zhaiqiao village in Leqing, Zhejiang Province, was killed in a traffic accident. Following this incident, rumor spread that his death was related to his role in a land dispute, as he had spent six years petitioning on behalf of fellow villagers for adequate compensation for their land.

Leqing has once again come under the spotlight, bringing with it the topic of land disputes.

Recently in Leqing's Shannong village, a 32-story building was erected to relocate villagers following land expropriation. Fifty-four villagers who lost their land were not given space in the building.

However, Huang Longchuan, the head of the village, has 20 units in the building under his name or those of his relatives. Huang even threatened locals who tried to take legal action, reported by the China Business newspaper on September 23th.

The term "head of the village" has become a sensitive one as China undergoes the reform process. In some villages, the head is like a local emperor who behaves with unbearable insolence and has the final say on everything. Justice is severely undermined in these villages, and what's left is the anger and disbelief of residents.

In recent years, China's urbanization has brought a great deal of opportunities for villages that surround larger cities. At the same time, problems have emerged, most of which revolve around the issue of compensating local people for land and their demolished homes.

Some village officials take the risk of upsetting locals in exchange for economic profits. While they gain compensation fees from the upper authorities, they cheat villagers by extending only a small portion of the payment to them.

I have worked on a large number of rural land expropriation compensation dispute cases, and I have found that many village officials faked documents to rake in money.

Officials who behave unscrupulously and cheat their neighbors believe that they are granted great power and don't fear being sued.

Due to the flaws in the implementation of laws and regulations, these officials do not have a clear understanding of their obligations and lack supervision. Local elections, which are supposed to protect the rights of people at the village level, have become a mere formality in some areas.

In many villages, officials have formed their own connections and interest groups, which challenges the fairness of elections and affects the outcomes in various ways. A relatively powerful faction may conduct "legal tyranny" through violent means and refuse to acknowledge the interests of vulnerable groups. Meanwhile, if such a faction were to lose an election, it may try every means possible to sabotage the work of elected officials.

It is no surprise that village officials in these regions have an absolute monarch-like hold on their power. Even though villagers' rights are abused, they can turn to no one for help.

Villagers in Shannong village in Leqing are still working to defend their rights. When they took legal action, they were told that the case could not be heard because the court couldn't accept cases linked to village autonomy. When they demanded that the village head be removed from his post, their petition was rejected by the township government, which is superior to the village government.

The Leqing case has raised awareness on how to protect the interests of rural communities. China needs a set of complete laws and better implementation to realize that goal. This is the only way that village officials, before they try to swallow the public benefits, will think of the consequences their behavior may bring and uphold the law.