China students go beserk as power is cut

BEIJING, June 21 (Reuters) Thousands of university students went beserk in southwest China for days because school authorities cut off the power supply which prevented them from watching soccer's World Cup, witnesses said today.

Chaos broke out in dormitories of Sichuan University in provincial capital Chengdu last week when school authorities imposed a blackout.

''As soon as the power blackout began at midnight, students started to shout and throw things out of their dormitories,'' said one student who witnessed the scene.

''They were unhappy they could not watch the World Cup,'' said the student who requested anonymity.

A second witness said mostly male students ran amok.

The protest lasted several days and ended when school authorities agreed to provide electricity all night long in dining rooms and other public areas, they said.

No injuries or arrests were reported. University officials, contacted by telephone, declined to comment.

Unrest of any kind is highly sensitive in China, whose Communist government prizes stability.

A widening gap between rich and poor, corruption and official abuse of power have fuelled a growing number of protests around the country, often sparked by seemingly minor issues.

In the central province of Henan, thousands of university students smashed windows and ransacked their campus last week in a riot sparked by anger over the wording of their diplomas.

They demanded dialogue and boycotted classes and exams and blocked the entrance to the main building.

REUTERS AY DS1334