Eight people were killed and more than 10 others injured in a fracas between construction workers and villagers in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Tuesday.
The violence broke out between workers with a logistics center and residents in the provincial capital Kunming, according to the government.
The cause of the clash is not yet known.
Yunnan government officials have arrived at the scene, and police are investigating.
Source China daily and InKunming

was this why there were a lot of police on the junction of Bailong lu and huancheng dong lu around lunchtime today? part of bailong lu was closed with a banner right across the road and there were at least 15 police officers watching lots of angry looking people. it was all cleared up by about 5.30 when i passed.

The fight in Jinnan was over the amount of compensation given to the displaced villagers. It was reported both sides had serious casulties but not details of who died.

Compensation to displaced villagers doesn't always get paid or is inadequate.

just heard. 2 dead farmers. The rest belonged to the developer

I have talked about these projects with some Chinese, and their view seems to always be that the developer has offered them one or two apartments, but they want more.

Now, I have no reason to believe that this is the whole truth.

These Chinese I've talked to, admit so much that the apartments given to farmers are nowhere as finished as those going to sales (I don't mean furniture and such extra, but basically all interior work).

I can well imagine something like this conveniently left out of paperwork without the farmers knowing to ask for it.

New apartments in China are sold as concrete shells thats the standard. 毛坯房

I read that in the case in Jinning that the farmers had complained many times about the compensation level so it seems this has been an issue for a few years.

From Caixin, in English:

english.caixin.com/2014-10-15/100738900.html

Serious stuff. Not construction workers. That's the government saying for hired eviction thugs. Seems they beat one or a couple of villagers to death. Subsequently, the villagers captured and burned four of them alive.

Some villagers are offered only a shell. And the utilities may not be available within the development.

But I find it hard to agree that "New apartments in China are sold as concrete shells thats the standard".

Generally properties are sold as more than just a shell.

The electricity is usually installed, complete with fusebox, with one electrical outlet and a working single light in each room.

Water and gas are into the kitchen, and often there are two sets of water pipes (blanked off) in each toilet and the kitchen, already in the walls.

All windows and exterior doors are fitted.
All drain pipes from roof and balcony are fitted.
The walls are skim coated with plaster.
The basic infrastructure is also completed in the development with access to the usual utilities.

What you don't usually get is any sinks or toilets, built in kitchen, interior doors, and finished floor. But for less than 5000 rmb they can be made habitable.