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Riots erupt in Chinese town over SARS centre

Beijing, May 5: More than 100 farmers attacked a government office in eastern China and beat up officials, enraged that a SARS quarantine centre would be set up in their community, state media and a local official said on Monday.

The riot erupted during the night between Saturday and Sunday, as the irate farmers gathered outside a government office in Zhejiang province's Yuhuan county, the Jianghuai Morning Post reported.

What triggered their anger was the plan to use a dormitory as a quarantine centre, initially earmarked for six local travellers who had returned from an unidentified SARS hotspot, according to the paper.

After surrounding the office for several hours, dozens of farmers eventually stormed inside, ransacking three rooms and beating up three officials, the paper said.

"Several people have been detained as a result of the incidentt," a local police official surnamed Weng said.

According to the paper, two people identified as ringleaders had been arrested.

Social stability is starting to emerge as one of the casualties of China's war on SARS, which has killed about 200 people in the world's most populous country.

Last week, some 2,000 villagers near Beijing torched a school building earmarked as a SARS quarantine centre and wrecking government offices.

URL: http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=21112

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