Chengguan abuse of migrant workers

This article describes the acts of government officials, or Chengguans, who are low-level urban security force below police who are supposed to deal with noncriminal administrative concerns such as parking, noise, and sanitation. However, this article claims that they have overstepped their boundaries and have been harassing street vendors in order to extort money. A majority of these street vendors are poor migrant workers. Already disadvantaged in this society, they are also subject to police harassment on top of segregation in the workforce and housing.

This mistreatment of migrants, and the abuse of power by government officials towards the population at large has led to uproar. Recently, a Chengguan was stabbed by a pineapple vendor, and another beaten to death with a hoe.  Similarly, in other providences, riots have been incited following corrupt acts by Chengguan.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-china-anger-grows-over-abuse-of-street-vendors/2013/03/31/b9728ed6-984c-11e2-b68f-dc5c4b47e519_story.html