Beijing, Dec. 9 (Reuters): Armed police have sealed off a village in southern China after violent clashes with residents that rights group Amnesty International said marked the first time Chinese police had fired on protesters since the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators at Tiananmen Square.

Residents said riot police had opened fire on Tuesday on protesters in the village of Dongzhou in Guangdong province after they moved in to quell demonstrations over lack of compensation for land lost to a wind power plant.

Estimates from residents and rights groups put the number of dead between two and 20. “Now the authorities are coming to the village to detain people,” said one villager, adding his brother was among those shot dead during the demonstrations.

“My parents and my sister-in-law are kneeling in front of the house to ask the government officials to explain the killing,” he said in a telephone interview. He put the number of dead at more than 10.

China’s Communist Party has a monopoly on power and brooks no dissent but protests are becoming increasingly common, sparked by disputes over land rights, corruption and a growing gap between rich and poor.

Many of the protests turn violent, but Amnesty said police opening fire marked an ugly turn. “Police used guns on protesters the last time in 1989,” said Chine Chan, East Asia campaigner for Amnesty International, referring to China’s military crackdown on demonstrators.

“There is lack of guidance from the central government about what kind of force is allowed to be used,” she said.

Chan added that many young men from the village had fled to avoid being arrested. “We call on the central government to investigate what’s going on there,” Chan said. “Freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights that should not be cracked down on in any way.”

The resident said police were chasing away family members who tried to claim the bodies of those who were killed, describing the scene as “chaos” and pleading for help.

“Please send somebody to help us,” he said. Noise in the background was so loud it was difficult to hear.

The Dongzhou dispute has centred on compensation for land taken to build a wind farm in the area, which lies on the east coast of the province along the South China Sea close to the financial hub of Hong Kong.