[JURIST] Chinese government authorities detained 28 people for either their alleged role in riots in southwestern China [JURIST report] over the weekend or communicating information concerning the riots, according to reports from Xinhua, China's state media agency. Xinhua said that an estimated 300 to 3000 farmers discontented with efforts by local government officials to more strictly enforce China's "One Child Policy" [backgrounder] were involved in the demonstrations, protesting that fines levied as part of the policy were imposed "arbitrarily and brutally." Earlier reports from Hong Kong-based Ming Pao daily said that local officials had been ordered to collect 500 yuan ($65 USD) from families that had violated the "One Child Policy," and that family homes would be demolished and property seized if the fines were not paid within three days.

The riot, which left fires and damaged cars across six towns in Bobai county, occurred in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region [official website, in Chinese], which is inhabited by a large percentage of Zhuang and Miao ethnic minorities. China's "One Child Policy" customarily allows non-Han minorities to have up to two children in urban areas and up to four in rural farming communities. AP reported that residents said that local regulations allowed families to have two children if the first child is female, while families are limited to one child if the first child is male. AP has more.