Land dispute behind suicide bombing

An angry farmer killed a village leader and himself over a land dispute, AFP reported Tuesday, quoting state media. Yue Xiaobao detonated explosives strapped to his body Sunday afternoon in the village of Lishan in Yunnan province. The officials were on an inspection tour of local farmlands. Yue and village leader Ren Xuecai were killed immediately and nine others were wounded. Yue was reportedly angered after village officials destroyed his crop of sweet potatoes and forced him to grow tobacco. The attack underlined the growing concerns over land rights issues and the problems created by local officials that impose unpopular land use policies. Many residents have accused officials of working with developers and speculators to unfairly force farmers off their land.