2012-06-27

Negative social mood leads to conflict, do not increase the odds of conflict

I like these examples from China because it shows that negative social mood leads to conflict and one major source of conflict is the large migration of people, regardless of where they come from. In the West, this conflict is often blamed on racism or other prejudices, but while they may be present, they are not the cause—social mood is the cause. In Europe and the United States, those debating immigration and migration should be looking at the increased conflict in China and consider what will take place as ever growing migrant populations, with far less in common than Han Chinese who share language and culture, enter their countries at the same time social mood falls off a cliff. It is a recipe for disaster.

Zhongshan township sealed off after riot
A township in Zhongshan city in Guangdong was sealed off by police yesterday as tensions remained high following a riot on Monday night that was believed to have been caused by disputes between locals and migrant workers.
About 30 people were said to have been injured and at least two public security vehicles vandalised in a clash with police in Zhongshan's Shaxi township, the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said.

The exact cause of the riot was unclear, but a statement issued yesterday by the Zhongshan city government said security personnel at Longshan village, under the jurisdiction of Shaxi, restrained a 13-year-old boy from Chongqing by tying him up after he beat up a local primary school pupil in the town.

...Monday's riot drew renewed attention to unrest between locals and migrant workers from Sichuan . Last June, rioters torched government offices and burned cars for days in Zengcheng , Guangdong, known as the world's denim-manufacturing hub. The incident made international headlines and triggered soul-searching in the province about the need to address tensions involving migrant workers and locals.

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