From AP, via the Taipei Times: Millions of farmers lose their land annually as local officials approve redevelopment projects. Growing protests have authorities worried

A Chinese court has ruled that the central government should consider an appeal by a group of farmers in east China against the seizure of their land for redevelopment, state media reported yesterday.

The eventual outcome of the dispute, however, remains uncertain: The land, on the outskirts of the eastern city of Wuxi, was long ago razed for construction, apart from a small cluster of houses surrounded by rubble.

The case highlighted widespread conflicts over land use rights between individuals and government officials often acting on dubious legal grounds.

Thanks, Yong Liu!