Prosecutors across China investigated close to 11,000 people in rural areas for abuse of power between January and October and brought about 5,200 of them to trial, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said on Wednesday.

The SPP did not say how many of those tried were convicted.

More than 94 percent of those investigated were heads of grassroots organizations such as villagers' committees, party chiefs in villages, and government officials at the township or county levels.

Most were in charge of infrastructure construction, land acquisition and compensation, or distribution of medicare or disaster relief funds in the countryside, the SPP said.

In China, farmers often complain that their rights are violated and they receive less compensation than they deserve.

The SPP said the lack of understanding of the rule of law, and limited transparency and financial supervision in government and village affairs, were to blame for most of the power abuse cases.

It urged local authorities to step up anti-corruption education in the country's rural areas, and to manage revenue and expenditure separately to ensure government special funds were used as intended.

Dereliction of duty or abuse of power involving large sums of money would be dealt with seriously under the law, it said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2008)