Torch protests.. Heavy handed here !!

[LivinLOS]

DISRUPTION OF TORCH RELAY
You'll be playing with fire
Any foreigner who takes part in protests during the run will be kicked out for good, police warn


BANGKOK: -- Protesters disrupting tomorrow's Olympic-torch relay will be arrested immediately and prosecuted for public disturbance, police say.

Foreigners will be expelled and banned from returning. Those with residency will have it revoked permanently, spokesman Lt-General Watcharaphol Prasarnratchakij says.

"If they come here and engage in unlawful acts, they must be prosecuted ... if they engage in illegal activity, we will proceed according to the law by revoking their visa," he says.

"We have prepared everything to ensure the smoothness of the ceremony."

A Government House source says there are groups in this country motivated to disrupt the relay, including human-rights groups and the local Falun Gong.

Additional police have been deployed to the Plaza Athenee Hotel, where the torch and Olympic flame are housed ahead of tomorrow's 3pm run.

There will be as many as 2,000 policemen on duty along the route, according to the Olympic Committee of Thailand.

Four police vehicles and six officers will accompany the relay at all times. A bomb squad and a canine crew are on standby as is a special weapons and tactics outfit.

The heavy security highlights concerns here and the government's desire to avoid similar chaos to that which occurred overseas.

Free Tibet Network member Pokpong Lawansiri disagrees with the stance against pro-Tibet protests.

"Under the Constitution, an individual - local or foreigner - has the right to rally for a cause," he says. "Peaceful rally should be allowed".

He expects about 100 members to protests.

Prime ministerial aide Akhaphol Sorrasuchart says protests can continue as long as there's no run disruption and they do not break other laws, including traffic, or damage property.

A number of locations have been prepared for protests, although he will not say where.

The relay route through normally crowded Bangkok has been cordoned off with barricades to deter protests.

Rallying point

Networks and organisations planning pro-Tibet activities tomorrow include:

- Free Tibet Network, Thai Labour Campaign Group, Chulalongkorn University social critics, Activists for Social Change, Young People for Democracy Movement and Workers Democracy.

- Others include Reporters Without Borders and China pro-democracy and pro-Taiwan groups.


-- The Nation/xtra 2008-04-17

[nelsonone]

gee...why am I not surprised by this decree!!!

[dizbuster]

I think all countries should adopt the same policy. There's nothing wrong with peaceful protests being seen in the background as the torch goes by. Only extremists go that step further.

For the vast majority of torch-bearers, this is a once in a lifetime event and something they will remember for the rest of their lives. Why let scumbags ruin their day ?

[LivinLOS]

Because they are 'bearing the torch' for a government that abuses it citizens ??

[Denver]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Because they are 'bearing the torch' for a government that abuses it citizens ??

Pretty short torch relay if they looked at every country! Trying to think of a place they could jog round in circles where the government hasn't abused it's citizens!

The Olympic Torch Relay of Burkino Faso............Guessing the Burks would have something to say about that!

[Dodger]

Berk????????? I resemble that remark!!!

[cotambear]

In the uk the cops were psyched up. They even pushed a BBC cameraman to the ground and laid in to him with kicks.

[Soupdragon]

Originally Posted by dizbuster

For the vast majority of torch-bearers, this is a once in a lifetime event and something they will remember for the rest of their lives. Why let scumbags ruin their day ?

You're right in your sentiments but to ask people who believe in a cause like this to suspend their anger to let kids, who, the worst thing is gonna happen to them in their lives is they may break a fingernail have the time of their lives is at best, misguided.

[cotambear]

The chinese have a terrible human rights record towards tibet.
But I feel that its becoming yet another stick with which to beat china for daring to drag themselves up from 3rd world status and challenge the burger eating invader monkeys.

[retepg]

Originally Posted by Denver

Pretty short torch relay if they looked at every country! Trying to think of a place they could jog round in circles where the government hasn't abused it's citizens!

The Olympic Torch Relay of Burkino Faso............Guessing the Burks would have something to say about that!

The Zimbabwean leg should have been something to behold.. Old Uncle Bob running with the Torch, surrounded by his security men just in case that evil Gordon Brown were to jump out and try and extinguish it.....

[sundancekid]

Originally Posted by dizbuster

I think all countries should adopt the same policy. There's nothing wrong with peaceful protests being seen in the background as the torch goes by. Only extremists go that step further.

For the vast majority of torch-bearers, this is a once in a lifetime event and something they will remember for the rest of their lives. Why let scumbags ruin their day ?

But point being of course that a “silent” protest in the background would never have gathered such media attention. Personally, I did not think it was correct to award China the games in the first place, but when the IOC did, it at least opened an opportunity to put their dismal track-record on public display.

True, at lot --- if not most --- countries have violated human rights to a certain extent, but China’s violations are IMO far and beyond what should be accepted from even a potential host. (I mean, it’s not as if the likes of Myanmar or Zimbabwe would ever have a chance, is there.)

What was supposed to be a “glorious” display for China has turned out to a black (or charcoal rather) world tour. No, I don’t feel much sympathy for the torch-bearer. But infinitely more for the millions being suppressed for “the rest of their lives”. Is it going to help? Dunno. (But still rooting for the “scumbag”).

[cotambear]

Originally Posted by sundancekid

But point being of course that a “silent” protest in the background would never have gathered such media attention. Personally, I did not think it was correct to award China the games in the first place, but when the IOC did, it at least opened an opportunity to put their dismal track-record on public display.

True, at lot --- if not most --- countries have violated human rights to a certain extent, but China’s violations are IMO far and beyond what should be accepted from even a potential host. (I mean, it’s not as if the likes of Myanmar or Zimbabwe would ever have a chance, is there.)

What was supposed to be a “glorious” display for China has turned out to a black (or charcoal rather) world tour. No, I don’t feel much sympathy for the torch-bearer. But infinitely more for the millions being suppressed for “the rest of their lives”. Is it going to help? Dunno. (But still rooting for the “scumbag”).

Not disagreing, but what about the 1m plus dead in Iraq?

[dizbuster]

All very valid points, I guess I'm from the school that doesn't like to see politics get involved in sports. However it seems to be unavoidable these days.

[TanMan]

The Olympic Games were, by design, supposed to unite the world through sportsmanship. Unfortunately, it has only done the opposite. It "separates" countries more than anything else.... It pits countries against each other, and is sometimes used as a political tool, as we have this year with Beijing.

I'm against the Games. Too many people give up their childhood for a stamped disk at the end of a cheap ribbon...

[LivinLOS]

Originally Posted by TanMan

The Olympic Games were, by design, supposed to unite the world through sportsmanship. Unfortunately, it has only done the opposite. It "separates" countries more than anything else.... It pits countries against each other, and is sometimes used as a political tool, as we have this year with Beijing.

I'm against the Games. Too many people give up their childhood for a stamped disk at the end of a cheap ribbon...

What you mean like this little published gem..



Thats the England football team !! 1938 Berlin Olympics..

Sport Politics.. No no ones mixed them up before..

[faultytowers]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

1938 Berlin Olympics..

Sport Politics.. No no ones mixed them up before..

And that was the same year they introduced the Olympic Torch Relay !!!!

The relay of the flame from Greece to the site of the modern games had no ancient precedent and was introduced by Carl Diem, with the support of Joseph Goebbels, at the controversial Berlin Olympics as a means to promote Nazi ideology

[TanMan]

Munich comes to mind as well... but, just the whole idea of medal counts, and spectators chanting their country names during competition kinda puts me off the whole idea that the Olympic Games are good for humanity.

[retepg]

Glad to say that back here in good old sunny South Africa we never ever mixed sport and politics, and still don't today...

Sport, money and politics, there is a link that runs thru them ans will always remain.
We won't play cricket in Zimbabwe but will gladly go off to China.

[Minder]

Originally Posted by cotambear

The chinese have a terrible human rights record towards tibet.
But I feel that its becoming yet another stick with which to beat china for daring to drag themselves up from 3rd world status and challenge the burger eating invader monkeys.

__________________________________________________ _____________

Nobody seems to consider human rights when cheap imports can be had.

Can I ask if any BM's, some of whom are now accepting assaults on torch bearers as a valid form of protest, have previously used their own influence in their professional workplace or even their home to put pressure on China by limiting business with them and avoiding all things marked as "Made In China" because of China's human rights record?

[Dupree00]

At the least the Olympics are international interactions that otherwise would not take place. Good or bad we will learn more about each other.

[marc26]

Originally Posted by TanMan

The Olympic Games were, by design, supposed to unite the world through sportsmanship. Unfortunately, it has only done the opposite. It "separates" countries more than anything else.... It pits countries against each other, and is sometimes used as a political tool, as we have this year with Beijing.

I'm against the Games. Too many people give up their childhood for a stamped disk at the end of a cheap ribbon...

i dont really disagree with you, but within each country it does bring the country together
no more so than the Miracle on Ice
it may have seemed a trvial hockey games, but US beating the Russians when there were a lot of bleak times in the US lifted the whole country

[Denver]

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

What you mean like this little published gem..



Thats the England football team !! 1938 Berlin Olympics..

Sport Politics.. No no ones mixed them up before..

They have just all picked up some grass and have dropped it to see which way the wind is blowing before giving the Goimans a drubbing at footy!

Fantastic stadium BTW, it's where I finished the Berlin 25km road run in 1993 when I lived there..............I started the run in 1992 though!

[jingjai1]

If China were smart, they'd cancel the games.

Ya wanna support protests.... do it in 2012.