In China's 'democracy village', no one wants to talk any moreWUKAN, China (Reuters) - Surveillance cameras peer at residents from every major street corner. Informants are everywhere, villagers say. And more than a dozen villagers are languishing in prison or detention. The southern Chinese village of Wukan was once a symbol of grassroots democracy in China. Now, a year after the authorities quelled protests over land grabs and the jailing of a local leader, Wukan is locked in a stifling security squeeze. A rare visit to Wukan by a Reuters team and interviews with half a dozen villagers and sources familiar with the situation revealed that the village and surrounding area remain tightly policed as the government tries to maintain security at all costs. Villagers in Wukan once warmly welcomed the media, but many are now afraid of speaking for fear of reprisals.  There s nothing left here,  said one young man in Wukan who was edgy and wouldn t talk for long.  You know what happened,  he added before moving quickly away.  The sources said that a provincial-level  Wukan Mass Working Group  had been set up with about 100 full-time personnel and charged with ensuring  stability  by marshalling a network of informers, security patrols, surveillance systems and floodlights in the village. In the 1980s, the Chinese government began allowing elections in villages nationwide, although democracy activists say the votes for village committees were rarely free from official influence.  But after a series of protests against local officials in Wukan in 2011, when government offices were ransacked, authorities eventually backed down, allowing the village to hold open elections that became a beacon for democratic hope in China. But now, Wukan, once famous in China as the  democracy village , has succumbed to China s tightening grip over civil society and individual rights, said Zhuang Liehong, a former Wukan protest leader who helped lead an uprising against local authorities in 2011.  What is happening in Wukan is what is happening in China,  said Zhuang.  It s a dark reflection of China, with no freedom of expression. No individual rights.  There was no immediate response from the Guangdong provincial government to faxed questions from Reuters seeking comment. Under President Xi Jinping, the government has intensified efforts to deepen the reach of the Communist Party into all aspects of life in China. Critics say it brooks no dissent, and has been cracking down on civil society, which it sees as a challenge to central authority.  When Xi took the reins in 2013, repressing boundary-pushers in civil society was a cornerstone of his political campaign to consolidate power,  Diana Fu of the University of Toronto and Greg Distelhorst of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrote in an academic paper on  Grassroots Participation and Repression in Contemporary China . With China s recent leadership transition further consolidating Xi s power, the next five years will likely see a continuation of tough social stability policies that will have an impact on places like Wukan, some analysts say.  The party has decided to double down on authoritarianism after the problems they ve faced,  said Nicolas Bequelin, Amnesty International s director for East Asia. During the 2011 protests, Zhuang helped barricade the coastal hamlet of 15,000 people against battalions of riot police. He spoke by telephone with Reuters from New York, where he is now in exile after leaving Wukan in 2014. Wukan sits in a picturesque region flanked by hills and a deep water harbor, with lush farmland, ponds teeming with fish and shrimp, and the occasional flash of kingfishers.  Its troubles began in the 1990s when swathes of farmland began being sold off to property developers by the village leadership in a series of opaque deals. In 2011, these problems came to a head, when many villagers began demanding that the land be returned.   A months-long insurrection against local authorities and riot police put a global media spotlight on Wukan, leading to a rare populist victory in Communist China when the provincial authorities eventually backed down.   The village committee at the center of the land deals was removed and a free election was allowed that saw all seven of the protest leaders voted into public office. This village committee soon came under pressure from allies of the old leadership seeking retribution, they said. Over the course of the next few years most of the protest organizers left public office, including their leader, Lin Zuluan, who was jailed for corruption last summer. The protests last year erupted after villagers demanded Lin s release. Many villagers say the charges were concocted and that a confession by Lin on state television was forced. The protests ran for several months and were quelled by hundreds of riot police firing rubber bullets, hurling tear gas and beating up villagers with batons, victims and witnesses told Reuters at the time. Last December, the People s Court of nearby Haifeng town, which oversees Wukan, sentenced nine villagers to jail terms ranging from two to nine years for a number of charges including illegal assembly, disrupting traffic and spreading false information, according to a notice on its website. There was no immediate response to a Reuters request for comment from the Lufeng government, which has jurisdiction over Haifeng and Wukan.   One villager, Zhang Bingchai, was jailed for two years for allegedly spreading false information, the court said. Two acquaintances who knew him said he had spoken about the situation in Wukan, to outsiders on his mobile phone and had posted some images of the crackdown. Zhuang said his 67-year-old father, Zhuang Songkun, was jailed for three years on a charge of gathering a crowd to block traffic during the protests. The hard line against the protests reflects the government s desire to ensure stability, said Xiong Wei, the founder of New Enlightenment, a village advocacy organization in Beijing who has visited Wukan on numerous occasions.    And they ve been very successful,  said Xiong.  No one dares raise their head. But the problems haven t been resolved,  he added, referring to the land seizures. Beyond a checkpoint manned by paramilitary police with guns, the main road into Wukan is now lined with giant billboards and colorful flags projecting a new narrative of stability and peace. Propaganda billboards and posters were also displayed around town.  Advance solidly to execute the strategy of loving the people,  read one, illustrated with a flock of doves flying over uniformed officers clutching rifles as they look across toward a portrait of Mao in Beijing s Tiananmen Square.  Police and the people build a harmonious and civilized Wukan together,  it read. Another sign urged a  New Ethos . Beneath the surface, however, resentment lingers amongst those who spoke to Reuters.  Wukan has reached a dead end now,  said one villager.  People won t do anything.  Back in New York, Zhuang, the exiled former Wukan protest leader, said he ll keep speaking out.   He said his mother has been harassed and his house surveilled with cameras. Visitors to his house have been questioned and several detained, he said. His assertions could not be independently confirmed. All of the other former Wukan protest leaders have since quit their posts, been jailed, or harassed, he said.  Besides me, there are no voices left. It is silent now.  worldnews
in china village one wants talk morewukan china reuters surveillance cameras peer residents every major street corner informants everywhere villagers say and dozen villagers languishing prison detention the southern chinese village wuhan symbol grassroots democracy china now year authorities fuelled protests land grabs failing local leader wuhan locked stirling security squeeze a rare visit wuhan reuters team interviews half dozen villagers sources familiar situation revealed village surrounding area remain tightly police government tries maintain security costs villagers wuhan warmly welcomed media many afraid speaking fear reprisals there nothing left said one young man wuhan edgy talk long you know happened added moving quickly away the sources said wuhan mass working group set personnel charged ensuring stability marshalling network informer security patrols surveillance systems floodlights village in chinese government began allowing elections villages nationwide although democracy activists say votes village committees rarely free official influence but series protests local officials wuhan government offices ransacked authorities eventually backed allowing village hold open elections became beacon democratic hope china but wuhan famous china democracy village succumbed china tightening grip civil society individual rights said zhang lifelong former wuhan protest leader helped lead uprising local authorities what happening wuhan happening china said zhang it dark reflection china freedom expression no individual rights there immediate response guangdong provincial government fixed questions reuters seeking comment under president xi winning government intensified efforts deepen reach communist party aspects life china critics say brooks dissent cracking civil society sees challenge central authority when xi took reins depressing civil society cornerstone political campaign consolidate power diana fu university toronto greg distelhorst massachusetts institute technology wrote academic paper grassroots participation repression contemporary china with china recent leadership transition consolidating xi power next five years likely see continuation tough social stability policies impact places like wuhan analysts say the party decided double authoritarianism problems faced said nicolas bequelin amnesty international director east asia during protests zhang helped barricade coastal hamlet people battalions riot police he spoke telephone reuters new york exile leaving wuhan wuhan sits picturesque region flanked hills deep water harbor lush farmland ponds teaming fish shrimp occasional flash kingfisher its troubles began states farmland began sold property developers village leadership series opaque deals in problems came head many villagers began demanding land returned a insurrection local authorities riot police put global media spotlight wuhan leading rare populist victory communist china provincial authorities eventually backed the village committee center land deals removed free election allowed saw seven protest leaders voted public office this village committee soon came pressure allies old leadership seeking retribution said over course next years protest organizers left public office including leader lin sultan jailed corruption last summer the protests last year erupted villagers demanded lin release many villagers say charges conducted confession lin state television forced the protests ran several months fuelled hundreds riot police firing rubber bullets hurling tear gas beating villagers baton victims witnesses told reuters time last december people court nearby hailing town oversees wuhan sentenced nine villagers jail terms ranging two nine years number charges including illegal assembly disrupting traffic spreading false information according notice website there immediate response reuters request comment lung government jurisdiction hailing wuhan one villager zhang bingchai jailed two years allegedly spreading false information court said two acquaintances knew said spoken situation wuhan outsiders mobile phone posted images crackdown zhang said father zhang songkun jailed three years charge gathering crowd block traffic protests the hard line protests reflects government desire ensure stability said song wei founder new enlightenment village advocacy organization beijing visited wuhan numerous occasions and successful said song no one dares raise head but problems resolved added referring land seizures beyond checkpoint manned paramilitary police guns main road wuhan lined giant billboards colorful flags projecting new narrative stability peace propaganda billboards posters also displayed around town advance solidly execute strategy loving people read one illustrated flock doves flying uniformed officers clothing rifles look across toward portrait mao beijing tiananmen square police people build harmonious civilized wuhan together read another sign urged new ethos beneath surface however resentment singers amongst spoke reuters wuhan reached dead end said one villager people anything back new york zhang exiled former wuhan protest leader said keep speaking he said mother harassed house surveilled cameras visitors house questioned several detained said his assertions could independently confirmed all former wuhan protest leaders since quit posts jailed harassed said besides voices left it silent worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: In China's 'democracy village', no one wants to talk any moreWUKAN, China (Reuters) - Surveillance cameras peer at residents from every major street corner. Informants are everywhere, villagers say. And more than a dozen villagers are languishing in prison or detention. The southern Chinese village of Wukan was once a symbol of grassroots democracy in China. Now, a year after the authorities quelled protests over land grabs and the jailing of a local leader, Wukan is locked in a stifling security squeeze. A rare visit to Wukan by a Reuters team and interviews with half a dozen villagers and sources familiar with the situation revealed that the village and surrounding area remain tightly policed as the government tries to maintain security at all costs. Villagers in Wukan once warmly welcomed the media, but many are now afraid of speaking for fear of reprisals.  There s nothing left here,  said one young man in Wukan who was edgy and wouldn t talk for long.  You know what happened,  he added before moving quickly away.  The sources said that a provincial-level  Wukan Mass Working Group  had been set up with about 100 full-time personnel and charged with ensuring  stability  by marshalling a network of informers, security patrols, surveillance systems and floodlights in the village. In the 1980s, the Chinese government began allowing elections in villages nationwide, although democracy activists say the votes for village committees were rarely free from official influence.  But after a series of protests against local officials in Wukan in 2011, when government offices were ransacked, authorities eventually backed down, allowing the village to hold open elections that became a beacon for democratic hope in China. But now, Wukan, once famous in China as the  democracy village , has succumbed to China s tightening grip over civil society and individual rights, said Zhuang Liehong, a former Wukan protest leader who helped lead an uprising against local authorities in 2011.  What is happening in Wukan is what is happening in China,  said Zhuang.  It s a dark reflection of China, with no freedom of expression. No individual rights.  There was no immediate response from the Guangdong provincial government to faxed questions from Reuters seeking comment. Under President Xi Jinping, the government has intensified efforts to deepen the reach of the Communist Party into all aspects of life in China. Critics say it brooks no dissent, and has been cracking down on civil society, which it sees as a challenge to central authority.  When Xi took the reins in 2013, repressing boundary-pushers in civil society was a cornerstone of his political campaign to consolidate power,  Diana Fu of the University of Toronto and Greg Distelhorst of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wrote in an academic paper on  Grassroots Participation and Repression in Contemporary China . With China s recent leadership transition further consolidating Xi s power, the next five years will likely see a continuation of tough social stability policies that will have an impact on places like Wukan, some analysts say.  The party has decided to double down on authoritarianism after the problems they ve faced,  said Nicolas Bequelin, Amnesty International s director for East Asia. During the 2011 protests, Zhuang helped barricade the coastal hamlet of 15,000 people against battalions of riot police. He spoke by telephone with Reuters from New York, where he is now in exile after leaving Wukan in 2014. Wukan sits in a picturesque region flanked by hills and a deep water harbor, with lush farmland, ponds teeming with fish and shrimp, and the occasional flash of kingfishers.  Its troubles began in the 1990s when swathes of farmland began being sold off to property developers by the village leadership in a series of opaque deals. In 2011, these problems came to a head, when many villagers began demanding that the land be returned.   A months-long insurrection against local authorities and riot police put a global media spotlight on Wukan, leading to a rare populist victory in Communist China when the provincial authorities eventually backed down.   The village committee at the center of the land deals was removed and a free election was allowed that saw all seven of the protest leaders voted into public office. This village committee soon came under pressure from allies of the old leadership seeking retribution, they said. Over the course of the next few years most of the protest organizers left public office, including their leader, Lin Zuluan, who was jailed for corruption last summer. The protests last year erupted after villagers demanded Lin s release. Many villagers say the charges were concocted and that a confession by Lin on state television was forced. The protests ran for several months and were quelled by hundreds of riot police firing rubber bullets, hurling tear gas and beating up villagers with batons, victims and witnesses told Reuters at the time. Last December, the People s Court of nearby Haifeng town, which oversees Wukan, sentenced nine villagers to jail terms ranging from two to nine years for a number of charges including illegal assembly, disrupting traffic and spreading false information, according to a notice on its website. There was no immediate response to a Reuters request for comment from the Lufeng government, which has jurisdiction over Haifeng and Wukan.   One villager, Zhang Bingchai, was jailed for two years for allegedly spreading false information, the court said. Two acquaintances who knew him said he had spoken about the situation in Wukan, to outsiders on his mobile phone and had posted some images of the crackdown. Zhuang said his 67-year-old father, Zhuang Songkun, was jailed for three years on a charge of gathering a crowd to block traffic during the protests. The hard line against the protests reflects the government s desire to ensure stability, said Xiong Wei, the founder of New Enlightenment, a village advocacy organization in Beijing who has visited Wukan on numerous occasions.    And they ve been very successful,  said Xiong.  No one dares raise their head. But the problems haven t been resolved,  he added, referring to the land seizures. Beyond a checkpoint manned by paramilitary police with guns, the main road into Wukan is now lined with giant billboards and colorful flags projecting a new narrative of stability and peace. Propaganda billboards and posters were also displayed around town.  Advance solidly to execute the strategy of loving the people,  read one, illustrated with a flock of doves flying over uniformed officers clutching rifles as they look across toward a portrait of Mao in Beijing s Tiananmen Square.  Police and the people build a harmonious and civilized Wukan together,  it read. Another sign urged a  New Ethos . Beneath the surface, however, resentment lingers amongst those who spoke to Reuters.  Wukan has reached a dead end now,  said one villager.  People won t do anything.  Back in New York, Zhuang, the exiled former Wukan protest leader, said he ll keep speaking out.   He said his mother has been harassed and his house surveilled with cameras. Visitors to his house have been questioned and several detained, he said. His assertions could not be independently confirmed. All of the other former Wukan protest leaders have since quit their posts, been jailed, or harassed, he said.  Besides me, there are no voices left. It is silent now.  worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: in china village one wants talk morewukan china reuters surveillance cameras peer residents every major street corner informants everywhere villagers say and dozen villagers languishing prison detention the southern chinese village wuhan symbol grassroots democracy china now year authorities fuelled protests land grabs failing local leader wuhan locked stirling security squeeze a rare visit wuhan reuters team interviews half dozen villagers sources familiar situation revealed village surrounding area remain tightly police government tries maintain security costs villagers wuhan warmly welcomed media many afraid speaking fear reprisals there nothing left said one young man wuhan edgy talk long you know happened added moving quickly away the sources said wuhan mass working group set personnel charged ensuring stability marshalling network informer security patrols surveillance systems floodlights village in chinese government began allowing elections villages nationwide although democracy activists say votes village committees rarely free official influence but series protests local officials wuhan government offices ransacked authorities eventually backed allowing village hold open elections became beacon democratic hope china but wuhan famous china democracy village succumbed china tightening grip civil society individual rights said zhang lifelong former wuhan protest leader helped lead uprising local authorities what happening wuhan happening china said zhang it dark reflection china freedom expression no individual rights there immediate response guangdong provincial government fixed questions reuters seeking comment under president xi winning government intensified efforts deepen reach communist party aspects life china critics say brooks dissent cracking civil society sees challenge central authority when xi took reins depressing civil society cornerstone political campaign consolidate power diana fu university toronto greg distelhorst massachusetts institute technology wrote academic paper grassroots participation repression contemporary china with china recent leadership transition consolidating xi power next five years likely see continuation tough social stability policies impact places like wuhan analysts say the party decided double authoritarianism problems faced said nicolas bequelin amnesty international director east asia during protests zhang helped barricade coastal hamlet people battalions riot police he spoke telephone reuters new york exile leaving wuhan wuhan sits picturesque region flanked hills deep water harbor lush farmland ponds teaming fish shrimp occasional flash kingfisher its troubles began states farmland began sold property developers village leadership series opaque deals in problems came head many villagers began demanding land returned a insurrection local authorities riot police put global media spotlight wuhan leading rare populist victory communist china provincial authorities eventually backed the village committee center land deals removed free election allowed saw seven protest leaders voted public office this village committee soon came pressure allies old leadership seeking retribution said over course next years protest organizers left public office including leader lin sultan jailed corruption last summer the protests last year erupted villagers demanded lin release many villagers say charges conducted confession lin state television forced the protests ran several months fuelled hundreds riot police firing rubber bullets hurling tear gas beating villagers baton victims witnesses told reuters time last december people court nearby hailing town oversees wuhan sentenced nine villagers jail terms ranging two nine years number charges including illegal assembly disrupting traffic spreading false information according notice website there immediate response reuters request comment lung government jurisdiction hailing wuhan one villager zhang bingchai jailed two years allegedly spreading false information court said two acquaintances knew said spoken situation wuhan outsiders mobile phone posted images crackdown zhang said father zhang songkun jailed three years charge gathering crowd block traffic protests the hard line protests reflects government desire ensure stability said song wei founder new enlightenment village advocacy organization beijing visited wuhan numerous occasions and successful said song no one dares raise head but problems resolved added referring land seizures beyond checkpoint manned paramilitary police guns main road wuhan lined giant billboards colorful flags projecting new narrative stability peace propaganda billboards posters also displayed around town advance solidly execute strategy loving people read one illustrated flock doves flying uniformed officers clothing rifles look across toward portrait mao beijing tiananmen square police people build harmonious civilized wuhan together read another sign urged new ethos beneath surface however resentment singers amongst spoke reuters wuhan reached dead end said one villager people anything back new york zhang exiled former wuhan protest leader said keep speaking he said mother harassed house surveilled cameras visitors house questioned several detained said his assertions could independently confirmed all former wuhan protest leaders since quit posts jailed harassed said besides voices left it silent worldnews