The self-made gun.

Local government officials echoed the staff member's words.

Jiutong acquired the land where Zhang's house is located in 2003 to build a new housing project. All the 443 households agreed to be relocated except Zhang and two other households. The two are Zhang's relatives.

Bengshan District Administration Execution Bureau ordered Zhang's house demolished in February this year, but Zhang destroyed the excavator, according to a document shown by Bengbu's housing administration.

In east China's Jiangsu Province, meanwhile, relocation projects were suspended and two government officials were fired after as many as 1,000 people protested for four days last week against local authorities' handling of land compensation cases.

The Party and government heads of Tong'an Town in Suzhou City were dismissed for "mishandling public appeals and dereliction of duty when following land compensation standards," the local government said in an e-mail.