Detention wrong way to respond to protest

THE OWNER of a construction company in Malong county in Southwest China's Yunnan province, walked through six provinces protesting that the local government owes him 3.3 million yuan ($497,000) for constructing a school. He was given 10 days in detention by local police for "defaming" the Malong government and "severely disturbing the public order". Beijing News commented on Tuesday:

It remains unclear whether the construction company owner is really owed that much money by the school. Likewise, although he stopped in public places and displayed banners highlighting his situation, it is unclear whether he disturbed the public order.

One thing is clear, though, the local government does owe him a large amount of money that has accumulated over eight years, despite his repeated requests for payment.