Report: Chinese authorities arrest villagers in ongoing farmland dispute

May 2 (UPI) -- Chinese authorities arrested villagers in southern Yunnan province after they welcomed back residents detained following repeated clashes with police over local farmland.

Villagers of Guangji, about 30 minutes south of Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, were taken into police custody after they celebrated the return of released prisoners, Chinese news service Pengpai reported Thursday.

The villagers arrested were charged with attacking police during multiple standoffs. Confrontation began after Yunnan's Communist Party leaders reportedly sought to take over 20,000 acres of village land to build an "ancient city" that would recreate 4th century B.C. China.

Six villagers were arrested between 2016 and 2018, including Wang Zhengrong and son Wang Chunyun. The Wangs are believed to have led the village fight against the deal. Tensions erupted into an outbreak of violence as early as 2013, when police used tear gas and explosives against villagers who responded with hoes, sickles and shoulder poles, according to the BBC.

Kunming police disclosed footage of the recent welcome ceremony that included firecrackers, a performance of gongs and drums and local women performing a fan dance.

Villagers carried banners that read, "Heroes have returned home," which local authorities have interpreted as a provocation.

Police in response took into custody 13 villagers on April 22. Authorities plan to educate villagers on "illegal acts," according to Pengpai.

The Wangs previously educated local villagers about their legal rights to farmland. During the 2013 standoff, villagers were afraid to leave their homes for fear of arrest and avoided seeking medical care, according to the BBC.