Accused of fomenting unrest in his village in southern China, Zhang Jiancheng (張建城) was taken into police custody where a fellow protester died, allegedly after a severe beating.
As he sat in his cell, the 26-year-old had no idea villagers in his native Wukan, angered by land grabs and his friend’s death, had launched a bold revolt against the police — all of which his brother was publicizing online using a new iPad.
Now, in a remarkable reversal of fortune, Zhang has been elected to a new, youthful seven-member leadership committee, in landmark polls held at the weekend in his village in Guangdong Province.
Photo: AFP
“We were successful, but it is a result Xue Jinbo (薛錦波) paid for with his life and that’s sad,” said Zhang, a deeply serious and thoughtful figure who sports a trendy haircut and goatee, as he sat at a table with his friends after the vote.
The election is seen as a victory for Wukan residents, whose anger over land grabs, graft, abuse of power and a lack of prospects for younger people are common throughout China.
It also highlights how connected young people are to the Internet — even in rural backwaters such as Wukan, where many have little education, but are desperate for change and deeply attached to their home.
When Zhang turned 16, he dropped out of school and moved to the metropolis of Shenzhen, where he worked odd jobs to help support his family and met his now wife, with whom he has a five-year-old daughter.
Until then, his mother had been the sole breadwinner in the family, earning money to raise him, his four brothers and sisters and his sickly dad, in a small, basic house in a rundown alley in Wukan.
However, he soon grew disillusioned with life in the big city.
“When you work away from home, you’re considered an outsider and local people bully you,” he said.
Back in his seaside village, though, work prospects were even bleaker, with most of residents’ land sold off by corrupt leaders and a fishing industry that was becoming less and less profitable.
Anger was mounting and villagers began petitioning authorities in 2009, before staging protests in September last year — which Zhang was instrumental in organizing — a move that landed him in prison with four other residents.
When Xue Jinbo — one of those detained — died in police custody in December, villagers took their demonstration a step further, barricading roads leading into Wukan and facing off with security forces for 10 days.
By the time Zhang was released two weeks later, the rebellion had ended with authorities granting rare concessions, including the right to hold free village polls — allowed in China, but a first in Wukan.
The village’s success is due in no small part to the diligence of young residents — including Zhang’s younger brother Zhang Jianxing (張建興) — who used microblogs to publicize their struggle.
In November, the 21-year-old borrowed money from friends to buy an iPad, camera and tripod that he never parts with, his fingers darting across the screen as he shows onlookers videos and photos posted online.
His 16-year-old friend Wu Jijin said older protest leaders now relied on Wukan’s Internet-savvy youngsters to publicize the latest developments online.
As he sat discussing the weekend’s events with his friends, Zhang Jiancheng allowed himself to relax and smile, finally.
“I used to really like joking around, I was optimistic about many things, but these events have changed my views,” he said.
“If you want to change things, there’s a price to pay. I hope the next generation will have a better life,” he added.
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