HK farmers protest against tycoon land grab

Hong Kong

HONG Kong farming villages bordering mainland China are locked in a bitter struggle against property developers accused of "land hoarding", as resentment of the city's vast wealth gap fuels democracy protests.

Now in their second month, the protests were sparked by Beijing's insistence on vetting candidates in Hong Kong's next leadership elections in 2017 - but the perceived cosy relationship between the government and the city's powerful business elite is also a key source of anger.

While developers snap up valuable real estate across the city, soaring house prices and rental costs leave the majority of the population struggling to afford private hous…