Wow! There have been sporadic reports of protests and riots all over China in the last year, not usually making the front pages but happening in surprisingly large numbers. This is the latest, and from the picture, not a minor skirmish. Of course, when the authorities handle a middle-school protest with tear gas and beatings they shouldn’t expect much less.

“Thousands of people have rioted in a county in southwest China, setting fire to government buildings and overturning cars in angry protests over the official handling of the death of a local teenage girl, according to a human rights group, state news media and videotapes of the events.

The Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, a Hong Kong-based human rights group, reported that the riot was incited by the case of a teenage girl who was reportedly raped and murdered.

Relatives of the 16-year-old girl blamed the local police for a shoddy investigation and also claimed possible corruption, the group reported. The family said the teenager disappeared after being seen with two young men with family ties to the local public security bureau, the report said.

By Saturday, the human rights group reported, about 500 middle school students had gone to protest at the public security bureau. But the students were turned away and beaten, a move that immediately roused an angry mob of thousands of people who began setting fire to buildings and overturning cars.

The Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy reported that one person died, 150 were injured and 200 were detained. ”

Yardley: NYT

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