One dead in rural China protest

Police in the Chinese province of Yunnan have opened fire on a crowd of protesters, killing at least one person and wounding several others.

A local official is quoted as saying that the villagers, most of whom are from the ethnic Miao minority, had attacked police.

Human rights activists say several protesters were beaten and detained.

It is unclear what led to the clashes, but they are thought to be related to land rights.

Reports suggest the villagers were protesting at their land being handed over to a big mining project.

'Heated and chaotic'

The confrontation happened on Sunday in the village of Saixi.

Government officials said the protesters were armed with knives, bricks and rocks.

They said the police initially fired warning shots, but when this tactic did not work they resorted to anti-riot guns.

One local official told the BBC the authorities were still investigating the cause of the protests.

But the Chinese Human Rights Defenders group said the demonstrations were caused by the development of a nearby tungsten mine.

The group said a mining company began work on the new mine without agreeing suitable compensation with the people in the village.

"The villagers were angry. They attempted to block the operation and film the process using video cameras," the group said in a statement.

"Police and mining staff seized the cameras and the confrontation grew more heated and chaotic."

In recent years protests over land seizures in China have increased, according to the BBC correspondent in Beijing, James Reynolds.

China has tried to address the issue by passing a new property law. This gives ordinary people better protection against developers.

But according to our correspondent, people in many areas still feel that they are powerless to stop their land from being taken.