About a dozen 'troublemakers' were still being held after they clashed with Guangdong police over penalties levied on people who violate the one-child policy, an official said yesterday.
The confrontation, which happened last week in Guangdong's Caojiang and Changbo towns of Gaozhou City, had calmed down although about 300 armed police from neighbouring Maoming were still on alert to prevent further unrest, a Caojiang official who gave his name as Li said.
According to Mr Li, senior officials from Gaozhou have arrived in Caojiang to handle the crisis and educate the villagers.
He predicted 'the trouble-makers' were likely to be released after the disturbances were over.
Earlier reports said villagers in the two towns were angry that they were forced to pay exorbitant fees for violating the one-child policy. Dozens vented their anger on their village chief on Thursday when a woman who was fitted with a birth control device died.
Mr Li said the woman's family had already been paid about 30,000 yuan (HK$28,000) in compensation.