Authorities in the city of Kunming in southwest China said last night that police had detained 35 security guards for allegedly beating to death a teenage boy after a dispute over fees at a KTV parlor.

Two guards, identified as Tao and Yang, at the Guandu District KTV quarreled with unidentified customers over charges shortly before 2am on Friday, officials said at a joint press briefing by the district police department and a neighborhood committee.

Tao and Yang were sent by the Yunnan Ruibang Security Service Co to work at the KTV, officials said. Tao called the company for reinforcement, and more than 30 Ruibang security guards arrived with wood clubs, rubber sticks and iron tubes.

They found Fu Guojun, 17, his cousin Cui Wenhao and another one surnamed Han at a roadside barbecue across the street from the KTV and fought with them, reporters were told at the news briefing.

Fu died about 9am that morning after emergency treatment. Cui and Han were injured and treated at the hospital.

The news briefing lasted about five minutes before officials hastily left, without answering reporters' questions, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Earlier media reports yesterday had said that Fu's parents were told the security guards attacked the wrong guy. That report could not immediately be rectified with statements made at the news conference.

"They looked very young, around 20, with uniforms and iron tubes in hands. Some of them might even be in the same age as us," Cui reportedly said.

The incident prompted a protest on Friday afternoon by more than 200 residents, who blocked the office of the Dabanqiao neighborhood committee where the uniformed guards were working, demanding justice.

The security guards were hired by the neighborhood government office of Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province.

An official of the subdistrict surnamed Su said the guards' action had not been approved by the office.

"The guards of the KTV called them and asked them to back up for a conflict inside," Su said.

However, employees of the KTV said no gang fight or conflicts had been reported inside the venue on Thursday night or Friday morning.

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