From the AP, via ABCNews.com:
China’s government Sunday announced the detention of a commander whose forces opened fire on villagers protesting land seizures, trying to defuse anger over what could be the deadliest use of force since the killings around Tiananmen Square in 1989.
The government said three people were killed in the Dec. 6 violence over compensation for land in this coastal village northeast of Hong Kong. Witnesses put the death toll as high as 20.
The commander’s “wrong actions” were to blame for the deaths, said a statement issued by the government of Guangdong province, where Dongzhou is located. It did not give his name or say what his actions were.
See also “China Defends Police Shooting of Villagers” from the Los Angeles Times. For more reports from the English and Chinese media about this incident, see ESWN’s post.