Chinese Villagers Abduct Officials

Chinese farmers and fishermen have taken eight Communist party cadres hostage at Dongzhou village, the site of a murderous police crackdown last year.

The stand-off over the arrest of a local activist comes less than a year after paramilitary forces killed at least three protesters. Radio Free Asia said several hundred police had moved close to the village near Shanwei port in Guangdong.

"The police at the village entrance don't dare enter," one resident told Reuters.

A human rights campaigner who asked to remain anonymous said the confrontation started when police seized a local activist, Chen Qian, as he was hanging up anti-corruption banners in the village.

The next day hundreds of residents reportedly marched on the local party office and took eight hostages. The villagers offered to swap prisoners but the local government would not compromise. Dongzhou has been closed off since December when police shot at thousands of people protesting against the seizure of land for a power station. Villagers say the toll was higher than three reported deaths.