From Asia Media:
An activist who was badly beaten while trying to help Taishi residents oust a local official for alleged corruption plans to return to the village tomorrow, as scholars resume criticism of the government attack on grass-roots democracy.
“I plan to return to Taishi on November 20,” said Lu Banglie, who was beaten unconscious while accompanying a British journalist to the village on October 8. “I will ask Panyu police to escort me into the village.”
Mr. Lu said the purpose of his visit was to collect evidence to sue the Panyu Public Security Bureau for illegally detaining him on September 16 and a Panyu government spokesman for allegedly lying about his fight with police.
Mr. Lu – who successfully ousted the head of his native village of Baoyuesi, in Hubei , in 2003 – spent more than two months helping Taishi residents with procedures to get their village chief recalled.
He had since lost contact with the villagers, who he said had been cowed into silence. They had hoped to oust Chen Jinsheng, who has been accused of corruption involving electoral procedures.
News of Mr. Lu’s plan was posted on a website, but was deleted almost immediately.
