Seven members of the banned China Democracy Party were detained by police yesterday in a swoop aimed at preventing activity around the 10th anniversary of the June 4 crackdown, activists said.

In Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, officers detained four members, while three others were picked up in Beijing, the Information Centre of Human Rights and Democratic Movement in China said.

Mao Qingxiang, a party member in Hangzhou, said authorities grabbed Wang Rongqing, Lai Jingbiao and Zhu Yufu at their homes in the city, as well as Yu Tielong from nearby Jiande.

Several other members were warned against attending a public gathering in the city planned for this afternoon to honour unarmed pro-democracy demonstrators killed in the crackdown, Mr Mao said.

They were threatened with detention if they did not promise to stay away, he said.

In Beijing, police took away Gao Hongming, Cha Jianguo and Wang Zhixing.

Wang Rongqing's mother said police told her the dissident would not be back home "until the 5th or the 6th"

Mr Mao said other members of the would-be opposition party - as on every afternoon since Sunday were allowed to gather quietly in a Hangzhou park yesterday, wearing white shirts and black armbands to honour those who died.

But the police action cast severe doubt on plans to go through with today's larger, more active demonstration, for which authorities formally denied approval.

Members would probably moderate their original plan and instead visit the park using the same technique of recent days, which had been tolerated by watchful police, Mr Mao said.

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