Farmers on trial for planting

GUANGZHOU - Twelve villagers who planted crops on requisitioned land that had been left idle for more than a decade stood trial on charges of "blackmailing the local government and real estate developers" in Heping county, Guangdong province, on Tuesday.

The defendants, including five women and three seniors (older than 60 years), who are from Shuibei village in Longchuan county, have been in detention for more than 10 months.

The police detained the 12 accused on May 19 last year after they allegedly blocked a road to prevent developers from starting construction on the long unused farmland.