Forced home evictions are rising in China: Amnesty International

BEIJING (AP) - Cases of people being forcibly evicted from their homes and land have risen significantly in China, becoming the single greatest source of public discontent and a serious threat to social and political stability in the country, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

Forced demolitions have long been a way of life in China.

Decades of economic growth have been driven by real estate development, much of it on the backs of millions of residents forced to relocate to make way for factories and business ventures.

But evictions have escalated over the past three years during a nationwide construction boom spurred by massive stimulus spending after the global financial crisis, the human rights group said in a report that cites Chinese housing rights activists, lawyers and academics.