Police have detained five family members of Tu Yuangao, whose suspicious death sparked a violent riot in Shishou, Hubei province, on June 17.

Other members of Tu's family received a notice on July 11 that said five of their family were detained two days earlier on suspicion of "organizing a mass activity to cause public disorder."

A relative of Tu's who asked to remain anonymous said 28 people were detained along with the five family members, and that more than 100 people were questioned about the riot.

"Two judicatory officers also told me there are 30 people on the run," the relative said.

Tu's family has hired two Beijing-based lawyers, but both refused to comment on the case yesterday.

Government officials told China Daily they have no knowledge about the arrests.

"I don't know about this. I am not sure about the authenticity of this story. It's better to ask Shishou officials," said an official from Jingzhou publicity office surnamed Xiong.

Zheng Qibai, deputy of Shishou publicity office, said: "I don't know anything about it. Nobody has ever told me."

Tu, 23, a cook, was found dead after a fall from the third floor of the Yonglong Hotel, where he worked, on June 17. Police quickly ruled the death a suicide.

Tu's death followed that of Tian Feng, a 15-year-old waitress who died in the same circumstances on Aug 11, 2002.

The riot followed rumors that Tu was killed because he had threatened to expose alleged drug dealings at the hotel after his boss, who has government connections, failed to pay him for three months.

A June 25 agreement between the government and Tu's family decreed that relatives would receive 80,000 yuan in "humanitarian relief" on the condition that they accept the death as a suicide and that his body be cremated.

It later emerged that a crime clause was also part of the deal. The deal, signed by officials Guo Zixin and Zhang Rongan and family members Tu Deqiang, Tu Maohai, Tu Yuanhua, exonerates Tu's family from any "non-organized criminal activities."

However, Tu's relative said the government had gone back on its word.

"The very same official, Guo Zixin, came to us on July 8 to ask us to surrender eight of ourselves to the police for the crimes committed during the mass riot," he said.

Zhou Zhe, a professor with China Youth College for Political Science in Beijing, told China Daily "there is no legal basis for the government to sign such an agreement. The exchange of criminal exemption for body cremation is illegal."

(China Daily July 23, 2009)