China Says Crackdown Revealed 31,000 Cases of Illicit Land Seizure

China has punished thousands of people for illegal land grabs, following a crackdown on the practice, officials said yesterday.

But the investigation also showed that the amount of land wrongly seized last year was almost two-thirds higher than in 2006 - when premier Wen Jiabao warned that China was at risk of an "historic error" over the practice - the state news agency Xinhua reported.

Land seizures, usually for development, are one of the main causes of protests across the country and have led to riots, with farmers and other displaced residents angry at the disruption to their lives and the minimal compensation they often receive.

Despite Wen's remarks, the subject remains sensitive. Last month a land rights activist who claimed human rights were more important than the Olympics was jailed for five years on charges of subversion. Yang Chunlin had thousands of signatures on a petition complaining about the eviction of farmers in Heilongjiang.

The ministry investigation, said by Xinhua to be the biggest of recent times, reflects Beijing's anxiety to damp down the issue.

The ministry of land and resources said it uncovered 31,700 cases of unlawful seizure, involving 225,000 hectares. Of these, 43,000 hectares were seized last year.

The inquiry focused on local government because officials often side with developers to boost the local economy, as a favor to friends, or because of bribes or their own financial interests.

The ministry said 2,864 people received disciplinary punishment and 535 criminal penalties, but did not say how many officials were involved.