Cao Jianming, vice president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), ordered severe punishment for misappropriation of arable land in violation of the law on Friday.

Efforts must be made to ensure the strictest implementation of the system to protect arable land, he said at a SPC meeting.

Cases involving farmers should be handled in a quickened process, he said, adding that special collegiate benches or special personnel can be designated to hear the cases if necessary.

He demanded all courts to harshly crack down on people who sell fake seeds, pesticide or inferior medicines and products to hurt farmers' interests, gambling and practices that disrupt rural democratic elections.

He required courts to work with local governments and villager's self-governance organizations to ensure land contract operation rights to be transferred on a voluntary, tradable and legal basis.

(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2006)