Students riot at China military academy over claims degrees not to be recognized

BEIJING -- Civilian students at an artillery academy run by China's People's Liberation Army have rioted over reports their diplomas would not be recognized, a radio station reported Friday.

Protests broke out Wednesday at the PLA Artillery Academy in the eastern city of Hefei among self-funded students who are not military cadets and have not been accepted into formal degree-earning programs, according to Radio Free Asia, a private broadcaster funded by the U.S. Congress.

The report follows scattered reports of campus unrest around China, often sparked by anger over phony degrees, weak job prospects and primitive living conditions.

RFA said students began smashing dormitories on Wednesday after word spread that their diplomas would not be recognized either by the Defense Ministry or the Education Ministry.

Police and military officers sent to calm the situation were driven out amid clashes that left several people beaten and bloody, the report said.