BEIJING - A high-profile Chinese dissident said Wednesday he had been detained amid heightened security on the 20th anniversary of a reformist leader's death that triggered the 1989 Tiananmen protests.

Qi Zhiyong, 52, who lost a leg after being shot during the military crackdown on the Tiananmen democracy protests, said police had picked him up Wednesday morning.

"When I went out at seven o'clock to take my child to school, I was forced into a police car by state security police," Qi told AFP in a text message. "They have taken me to the outskirts (of Beijing)."

Hu was purged by the Communist Party in 1987 for what it viewed as his weak response to student protests and died of a heart attack on April 15, 1989.

His death sparked calls for political reforms that led to the massive democracy protests on and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, which China's military quashed on June 4, leaving hundreds, if not thousands, dead.

The 20th anniversary of Hu's death is seen as the start of an ultra-sensitive time for China's communist leaders as they will be forced to revisit the crackdown that drew widespread condemnation from world leaders.

Other dissidents also reported increased scrutiny Wednesday.

Jiang Qisheng, an activist who was once jailed for his pro-democracy work, said police were watching him around the clock in his native Jiangsu province in east China, where he had been staying for over a week.

"They stand at the gate of my house guarding me without my permission, and wherever I go they follow me," he told AFP by phone.

"When I return to Beijing, I think it will be the same as it is getting nearer June 4."

Jiang said he had started coming under police scrutiny during the annual National People's Congress, or parliamentary session, in March.

A spokesman for the Beijing police denied any knowledge of Qi's detention, saying he first had to check with "relevant departments." --AFP