"The concessions showed how eager higher leaders were to avoid the risk of fresh violence and bloodshed, said Ting Wai, political science professor at Hong Kong Baptist University. 'I think the local government did not want to make concessions, and then of course when time goes on, the people became more and more frustrated, and now it is really like a bomb, so in order to prevent the bomb from exploding the provincial government has to do something,' he said.
"Under a hot afternoon sun, a thousand villagers gathered to hear an organizer, Lin Zuluan, explain the concessions from the government, which they greeted with loud clapping. He later told reporters that villagers would not suffer retribution for taking part in the protests. * * * Lin Zuluan, the Wukan organizer, told reporters that officials also agreed that the village can hold democratic elections.
(ii) Note:
(A) Prof. TING Wai - Hong Kong Baptist University 丁 偉 教授 http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~gis02/staff/ting.html
(B) Reuters in turn cites Southern Daily, whose link I will supply in (2) below.
"Oriental TV, a Hong Kong-based television station, said six residents had died [in Haimen clash] and nearly 200 were injured in the violent confrontation. Online searches for Haimen were blocked on Wednesday * * * State media reported last month that a 7.4-billion-yuan ($1.17-billion) expansion of the power plant had failed environmental tests and toxic metals found in local waterways 'exceeded the standard level.'
"there was a mood of relief in Wukan, where villagers were starting to take down protest banners put up when the protest leaders were detained.