As China ushered in its New Year, the Year of the Dragon, police in the capital Beijing broke up a demonstration by the outlawed Falungong spiritual movement.

The police descended on the protesters in Tiananmen Square, kicking and punching them and dragging them away to nearby vans.

At least fifty Falungong members assembled in the square minutes before the start of the New Year celebrations.

The BBC correspondent in Beijing says it was the biggest display of defiance in recent months by the group which has had thousands of its members arrested and several of its leaders given long prison terms since it was outlawed last year. Our correspondent says the Chinese government views Falungomng as a direct challenge to its own authority and appears prepared to use all means, including violence, to stamp it out.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service