Man beat by chengguan after decrying violence

(ECNS) -- A businessman who voiced discontent over violence of chengguans (urban management officers) toward a vendor was beaten by a dozen of them in Jingzhou, Hubei province, Southern Metropolis Daily said on Tuesday.

The clash occurred on Sunday morning, when Shui Xianli was having breakfast at a food stand near Jingzhou Logistics Plaza. While Shui was ordering a plate of noodles, a team of urban management officers came and confiscated the stove of the stand owner, who had no selling permit.

Seeing the urban managers' violent behavior, Shui expressed support for the stand owner and said, "How can you behave like bandits?"

"It was these words that stirred the wrath of the officers," said Tan Dongzhi, Shui's wife.

A witness said she tried to stop the officers from beating Shui, but was threatened by one of them. "He said if I continued to stop them, they would also beat me," she said.

A surveillance video shows Shui surrounded by several urban management officers in uniform about 8:30 am. He was then beaten by them for about one minute.

Shui is still at a hospital in Jingzhou. He sustained a three-centimeter scar on his head and a fracture on one of his fingers.

A relative of Shui said the family has received 5,500 yuan ($905) for Shui's medical expenses from departments involved in the case.

There was still no official response from local departments about the case.