Five villagers have been detained in Jinning, Yunnan province, after a road was blocked and vehicles were smashed and burned.
Police and members of the public were illegally detained and assaulted, Jinning county people's government said in a statement on Wednesday.
The incident "seriously harmed the safety of the public and disrupted public security order", the statement added.
The suspects, including a woman, are aged between 28 and 48. Other villagers were persuaded to take part in what was described as "one mass incident".
Twenty-three admitted their involvement and were set free. The police are urging others to plead guilty in exchange for lenient treatment.
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