The landfill would be located upstream of the Nangang River in Shucheng County, prompting fears that polluted or even poisonous water may seep into the ground and contaminate the drinking water source for some 50,000 people, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said.

The watchdog said villagers staged protests outside the county government building and blocked a highway over the weekend, urging the government change its plan on the landfill after all other means failed to draw attention.

The protesters were kneeling down in front of the government building, holding banners, calling the county leader a ''fascist,'' as seen in photographs posted on mainland websites.

Hundreds of riot police officers deployed at the scene clashed with the protesters on Saturday, and rumors that someone died drew about 2,000 people to join in the following days, leading to at least three major bloody clashes with about 1,000 police officers, the center said.

It said six reporters were detained including two Anhui TV reporters who were injured, while two of the some 100 injured protesters were in critical condition.

The government could not be reached for comment, but a news report posted on a mainland website quoted a county party vice minister as saying that the government will seek another location for the landfill.

==Kyodo