+4:3 Human rights group reports sharp rise in forced evictions in China

(11 Oct 2012) Beijing, 26 September 2007 ++4:3++ 1. Various of neighbourhood being demolished Hong Kong, 11 October 2012 ++16:9++ 2. Wide of news conference by Amnesty International on the rise in violent forced evictions in China 3. Cutaway of photographer 4. Mid of audience at news conference 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Nicola Duckworth, Senior Director of Research, Amnesty International: "I think obviously there are twin incentives. They are on the one hand, yes, the central government, if an economic slowdown is in play, then they want to find ways to continue the economic growth. But on the other hand, as I mentioned they are very aware of the potential of this issue, forced evictions, simply because of its scale and the popular discontent it is causing, to cause some wider social unrest. So, I think, there are two things that they need to balance here." 6. Cutaway of audience in news conference 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Nicola Duckworth, Senior Director of Research, Amnesty International: "Yes, I think probably, we'll see the sort of pattern as we have it at the moment, instances of popular discontent are a potential threat to stability. So, we've seen attempts to suppress information and the protests themselves." 8. Wide of Willy Lam, Chinese politics professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong, speaking 9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Willy Lam, Chinese politics professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong: "Well, actually, in the past few years Beijing has promulgated various laws and regulations regarding compensation for persons whose houses are seized for redevelopment or for real estate projects. It's just that corruption is very serious at the local level, so, most of the time it's corrupt local level cadres acting in collusion with real estate developers from China or from Hong Kong and Taiwan. So, I think it's a matter of enforcing rules and regulations as well as curbing corruption on the path of local officials." Beijing, 26 September 2007 ++4:3++ 10. Various of Chinese parapolice at the scene while house is being demolished 11. Wide of Chinese parapolice guarding the area STORYLINE: Cases of people being forcibly evicted from their homes and land have risen significantly in China, becoming the single greatest source of public discontent and a serious threat to social and political stability in the country, Amnesty International said on Thursday. Forced demolitions have long been a way of life in China. Decades of economic growth have been driven by real estate development, much of it on the backs of millions of residents forced to relocate to make way for factories and business ventures. But evictions have escalated over the past three years during a nationwide construction boom spurred by massive stimulus spending after the global financial crisis, the human rights group said in a report that cites Chinese housing rights activists, lawyers and academics. Local authorities seize and then sell off land in suspect deals with property developers, relying on land sales to help pay off huge debts incurred to finance stimulus projects, the report said. Nicola Duckworth, Amnesty senior director of research, said in a news conference that although the central government is aware of the threat that forced eviction posed to social stability, it continues to promote local officials who deliver economic growth, regardless as to how it is achieved, especially during the economic slowdown. Developers often hire thugs to threaten residents, sometimes with violence. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...