The intermediate court of Xi'an city, in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, recently dismissed an appeal against several defendants who received sentences of imprisonment for illegal assembly.

The verdict has triggered widespread criticism as the defendant farmers were merely staging a rally to express their legal demands in front of government buildings.
An article in "the Beijing Youth Daily" says the court should have taken the farmers' interests into account when delivering the verdict.

The newspaper notes that the farmers were representing their fellow villagers in expressing their dissatisfaction over the improper acquisition of land by the local government. It says that what the farmers did was aimed at protecting their legitimate interests and obtaining adequate compensation.

The article points out that the farmers should have found other legal channels to express their demands. However, it emphasizes that the farmers are in a disadvantageous position as the local officials hold great power when it comes to land acquisition. As a result, the situation forced the farmers to stage an illegal rally to express their lawful demands.

The newspaper concludes that the court should help protect the interests of common citizens instead of severely punishing them, although the aggrieved farmers had taken illegal action.

Fortunately, the article adds that this weekend's summit will broaden the participation of emerging economies in the global economic decision-making process. And that will bring new ideas and dynamics to the Washington summit.