Joining a Chinese Protest Over Land Rights, Pt. 2

The next night on my way home I stopped by the village area to find the protest over. A fortunate break for the villagers - the local government leader had come today and agreed to meet in two days, cutting the protest short at noon. Once again they wanted to know if I had already eaten and if they could get me anything. Over an hour of chatting I learned more about the situation. They asked me where I was living, to which I responded that it was this apartment development, but I forgot the name. One of the main ladies I was chatting with said, “Xia Yi Er Yuan?” When I confirmed, she said, “That used to be our land.” Apparently, in 2004 the government bought that land, which was their farming land and now the development I was staying in. Without much land to farm what did they do for income? They built up their homes to rent out, but now the government was going after that land too.

The government did pay them for their farming land, somewhat. They received about 45 USD per square meter (really low), but the government only gave them the money in slow-coming increments, and two years after the development's completion they have still only received 75% of the money weren't happy with in the first place. The government expects them to find new homes on their own, or move in with relatives. Should they move further away from the city for cheaper housing, work becomes an issue without any land to farm and no city jobs. Staying where they are and they'll find their money buys much less house - then they wouldn't be able to sublet part of their home. It's a tricky situation, from what they are telling me at least. I asked why they don't just get knew jobs. One answer was simply, "We have no culture." Whether it was an easy cop-out excuse or a reflection of how the poor rural citizens are being left behind in the wake of China's urbanization, I'm not yet sure.

This conflict has made me realize how hard it is to cut to the core of an issue. It's hard to know who to believe, the establishment or those fighting it? And it's even harder to know when you are part of the establishment (the rich upper-class, at least) but can very easily sympathize with the poor. The two people I was talking to most that night were born and had grown up in the protesting village. Personally, regardless of the price the government was offering, I would feel betrayed by my country if a government official knocked on my door and told me I had to vacate my home which I had grown up in because it was needed for high-rise apartments that I would never be able to afford. I find this whole situation even more of a slap in the face given the demand for these high-rise apartments. Noticing the ghostly winds that blew through the complex I was staying in, one day I asked the security guard how full it was. Two years after completion, and not even 50% of the flats were filled. And these complexes were popping up like weeds in my yard (if you've ever seen my yard, you'd know). Hopefully I will be able to go back to Kunming to find out what happened, and do some more reading on the subject. I'll keep you updated.