Beijing - Police in south-west China arrested an activist who supported protesting parents following the country's massive earthquake in May, a Chinese human rights organization reported Saturday.

An official arrest warrant was issued against rights activist Huang Qi from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, over "illegal possession of state secrets," the group Chinese Human Rights Defenders said, calling for his immediate release.

According to the group, Huang - who has been detained for more than a month - was only expressing his opinions openly.

Huang had helped parents who had lost children in the quake gather information on possible shoddy construction of collapsed school buildings.

At least 70,000 people lost their lives in the May 12 quake, among them thousands of schoolchildren.

The rights campaigner had reported on the parents protest over his website (www. 65tianwang. com) and had also given interviews with Western media.

Huang, who in 2003 had been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and was given early release in 2005, has been jailed in the provincial capital Chengdu, the Human Rights Defenders group said. (dpa)