Initial probe supports villagers' requests

WUKAN, Guangdong - The main requests of the residents of a southern village in the county-level city of Lufeng, Guangdong province, regarding financing, land use and violation of law and discipline by village heads are reasonable, a preliminary investigation has found.

The investigation, conducted by a special provincial work group since Dec 19 and released on Friday, indicated that some local officials violated the law and ethics of office while selling farmlands in Wukan village for commercial use.

Complaints escalated since September about land use, finance and elections of the village's leaders, prompting Wukan villagers to hold sometimes violent demonstrations in Lufeng, which administers the village.