Hundreds of migrant workers protesting over unpaid wages in Guangdong Province were beaten by thugs hired by their company, according to news reports. The AP is reporting that one protester was killed while Xinhua says no-one was killed but one man is in critical condition. From BBC:

Nearly 300 workers went on strike last Friday after they had gone four months without wages while working on the construction site of a hydropower station at Heyuan, local media reported.

They were said to be demanding their salaries from the Fuyuan energy firm when as many as 300 armed men arrived at the site. [Full text]