The resistance of land-lost farmers in China

Abstract

In the process of urban extension, the inconsistency of the government’s land expropriation policies and working methods has damaged the immediate interests of some land-lost farmers. The land-lost farmers strive against such damages. This analysis generalises five types of land-lost farmers, among whom the “elites of resistance” play a key role. Reasons for the resistance of land-lost farmers include an absolute feeling of deprivation when they realise that the compensation they have gained is far below what was regulated by higher authorities; and a relative feeling of deprivation when, after comparison, they learn that the benefits gained by farmers of different villages and even within the same village have great discrepancies. The forms of their resistance include “appeals” and “sit-ins”, with their resistance typically based on documents issued from higher authorities. Their resistance serves to safeguard farmers’ rights and interests.

Keywords:

• land-lost farmers
• resistance
• appeals
• compensation
• government

Acknowledgement

The research for this article was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. SKZZX2013092) in China.

Notes

1. The construction of a harmonious society (hexie shehui, 和諧社會) is the dominant socio-economic vision that is said to be the ultimate result of Chinese former leader Hu Jintao's signature ideology of the Scientific Development Concept. First proposed by the Chinese government under the Hu-Wen Administration during the 2005 National People's Congress, the idea deviates China's focus from all-out economic growth to overall societal balance and harmony. It indicates that China’s leaders have recently become concerned with social tensions, including clashes by farmers whose fields and villages have been swallowed by development. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonious_society.

2. On this, see Schattschneider (1942, esp. chs. 5 & 6).

3. No. 43 Order is “Compensation and Resettlement Rules for Land Expropriation in City C”. In Chapter Three, the articles regarding compensations for land expropriation include: Article Twenty Land compensations are paid according to these regulations: 1. Paddy fields, non-irrigated farmland, vegetable plots, and fish farms are compensated at the value of six to seven times the average output of the previous three years. 2. Orchards and tea plantations are compensated against the criteria of contiguous paddy fields. Other economic woodland is compensated against 50-70% of the criteria of contiguous paddy fields. 3. Timberland is compensated against 30-50% of the criteria of contiguous paddy fields. Bare hills and wasteland are compensated against 20% of the criteria of contiguous paddy fields. 4. Land for irrigation such as pools, ditches, and dams, etc. is compensated against the criteria of contiguous paddy fields. Reservoirs are compensated against 60% of the criteria of contiguous paddy fields. 5. Roads are compensated against the criteria of the sort of contiguous land. These articles are quite casual when being implemented. There is large room for each side to dispute.

4. No. 60 Order is “Implementation Methods of Compensation and Resettlement Rules for Land Expropriation in City C”.

5. No. 43 Order stipulates that each mu of land is compensated at 21 times of 1000 yuan. The compensations for young crops are 1000 yuan per mu. Woodland is compensated at the cost of exploitation. The compensations for economic woods are 360 yuan per mu. The compensations for forests are 260 yuan per mu. No. 60 Order stipulates that the compensations for young crops are boosted to 1900 yuan per mu. The total of compensations for land as well as resettlement is calculated at 25 times of 1900 yuan.