Close to the Bird's Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing some very different creatures were seen perched at a great height this morning. Four members of Students for a Free Tibet unfurled a banner reading 'One World One Dream Free Tibet' high up a 120ft lamppost not far away.Iain Thom from Edinburgh called the BBC from his mobile while up the lamppost to say:
"I'm here today because I've been a long-term Tibet activist and I feel
like now is a really critical time for Tibet.
"The Beijing Games have been used by the Chinese government as a
propaganda tool to whitewash their human rights record in Tibet."
He along with Lucy Fairbrother from Cambridge, and Americans Phill Bartell from New Jersey and Tirian Mink from Portland, Oregon have since been arrested.
A spokesperson for the Olympic committee said the protest was an "illegal gathering" adding:
"We want to express our strong opposition to this. China has relevant laws
regarding protests and gatherings. We truly hope that foreigners coming to visit
China will respect the relevant laws of China."
Does this mean that should any foreigner in China stumble across any Tibetan's trying to protest against their treatment they will be allowed to persecute, beat or shoot at the protester's before they are taken away into solitary confinement? Or is that not what the spokesperson wanted us to remember about the relevant Chinese laws.
People should take the opportunity to protest. It must be a once in a life time chance. It's the one time when your likely to be looked after nicer. If your a foreigner the authorities aren't exactly going to mistreat you. The BBC showed a clip of an American man shouting at the top of his voice in protest, it was amazing how gentle a police officer urged him quitely to calm down especially with the camera's around.
ReplyDeleteSadly only a few days ago Chinese protestors we're arrested for protesting about loosing their homes. So I guess the Chinese may not be so lucky.