The government has to face up to the issue, said Amnesty's Allison.
"It's a huge issue and it needs to be dealt with," he said.
New rules enacted last year to restrict lawyers representing protesters in collective disputes, such as over land, could only worsen the situation, Allison warned.
"That might be cutting off a legitimate channel for people to gain redress, and when you do that you actually add fuel to the fire because people feel they have no other option than to engage in protests which can sometimes turn violent," he said.
Top: A woman eats wonton at Hou Wonton which is the best known restaurant in ancient Beijing City on July 24, 2007 in Beijing, China. Many building with old brands and names in business at the prosperous business area are being razed in an effort to modernize Beijing ahead of the summer games. Guang Niu/Getty Images
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