New regulations aim to tame forced evictions of residents by property developers, which is now one of the biggest sources of unrest in China, the Irish Times reports:
The rules, which came into effect late last week, render illegal the use of violence or threats to force homeowners to leave.
Cutting power or water supplies to drive someone out will also be illegal, the Xinhua news agency reported. The courts will have a much greater role in deciding compensation for property.
Previously, local governments were allowed to enforce demolitions as they saw fit. One of the biggest sources of revenue for local government in China is the selling of land – often to developers who do not adequately compensate existing tenants and who simply drive them out of their homes.
Figures from the country’s top think-tank, the China Academy of Social Sciences, show land disputes account for 65 per cent of rural “mass conflicts”; the problem is highly prevalent in cities too.
Shocking cases of ill-treatment of residents by demolition workers have caused widespread anger.
Read more about forced evictions and forced demolition via CDT.
