Overview
- Demonstrations in Shidong, Xifeng county continued into Tuesday after a local directive told residents to choose cremation over burial.
- The county government issued a notice saying cremation preserves land resources and promotes a “frugal new funeral style,” grounding the policy in a 2003 law.
- Social-media videos show villagers surrounding officials and chanting, including a clip referencing Xi Jinping’s ancestral tombs.
- The area has a large Miao population for whom burial is customary, and some residents report pressure and threats tied to compliance.
- Monitoring by the China Dissent Monitor records 661 rural protests this year, up 70% from 2024, with nearly 1,400 incidents logged in the third quarter alone.