Land Rights Activist Speaks to Upper School Students

The Director of the Empowerment and Rights Institute (EARI) in China, Hou Wenzhuo, also known as Maggie, spoke to Upper School students regarding farmers and land rights in China. EARI is a non-governmental human rights organization that focuses on supporting and protecting laborers, farmers and migrant workers in China. Maggie explained that in many regions of China, local officials and business leaders seize land from farmers and destroy property. The farmers abused in these land rights violations have started to organize and protest the land seizures, but the police are working violently to stop the protests. This past spring, 4,000 police entered the village of Sanshan and destroyed hundreds of acres of land and farms, causing an estimated $1 million loss for the local farmers. More recently, in the Guangdong Province in China, police killed over 20 farmers who had been protesting illegal land takeovers. To help stop this violence in China and fight to protect the rights of the farmers and laborers, Maggie encouraged Upper School students to write letters to Congress and the Senate, expressing concern over the land conflicts. Donations can also be made to EARI by visiting their website at www.earichina.org.