KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 ― Four violators of China's Covid-19 rules were paraded on the streets of Southern Chinese province of Guangxi as part of a disciplinary measure to punish those who break health rules.

The suspects were escorted by armed riot police, AFP reported quoting state media Guangxi News.

The four wore hazmat suits and carried placards that displayed their photos and names as a large crowd gathered in Jingxi city.

A video shared showed each suspect held by two police officers ― wearing face shields, masks and hazmat suits ― and surrounded by a circle of police in riot gear, with some holding guns.

According to Guangxi News, the four had been accused of transporting illegal migrants while China's borders remain largely closed due to the pandemic.

Jingxi is near the Chinese border with Vietnam.

Other suspects accused of illicit smuggling and human trafficking have also been paraded in recent months, according to reports on the Jingxi government website.

Videos of a similar parade in November showed a crowd of people watching two prisoners being held while a local official read out their crimes on a microphone.

They were then seen marching through the streets in their hazmat suits, flanked by police in riot gear.

In August, dozens of armed police were seen marching a suspect through the streets to a children's playground.