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BEIJING - IN AN effort to manage dissent during the upcoming Olympics, China will set up 'protest pens' in three Beijing parks where protesters can hold demonstrations.
The practice is not new: Many cities which have hosted high-profile international meetings in recent years, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, have adopted similar tactics to contain and control protesters.
But Beijing's decision to follow suit still came as a surprise given the government's aversion to public displays of dissent and its desire to portray the 2008 Games as a 'harmonious' coming-of-age party for the country.
Mr Liu Shaowu, director of the security department at Beijing's Olympics organising committee, raised eyebrows when he told a news conference yesterday that three parks have been earmarked as 'protest zones'.
He named the venues - Ritan Park in central-eastern Beijing, Black Bamboo Park in the north-west and the World Park in the south-west - but was scant on details.
For instance, it was unclear whether Chinese nationals would be allowed to join foreign protesters, or if organisations outlawed by Beijing, such as the Falungong sect, will be allowed in the parks.
Mr Liu merely said that would-be protesters would need prior approval, and referred further questions to the Beijing police and the city government, who will handle the applications.
'Chinese law protects the legal right of people to hold lawful demonstrations,' the official added.
The three designated parks are nowhere near the Olympic Green, the main Games venue where the key stadiums and media centres are to be found.
The parks are instead located near some of the more obscure Olympic competition venues, such as those for softball and volleyball.
A check on two of the three parks - Ritan and Black Bamboo - by The Straits Times yesterday found no obvious signs that they were being prepared to host noisy demonstrators.
An ancient altar in the centre of Ritan Park, however, appeared to be a likely location. Surrounded by a circular wall with four narrow entrances, it would allow the authorities to keep the protest out of the public eye and control who goes in or out.
Visitors and park attendants interviewed yesterday all said they were unaware of the plan for protest pens. No one appeared thrilled by the prospect when told about it.
Said retiree Li Cheng: 'The Olympics has already taken over so many places in this city. Can't they just leave us some peace and quiet?'
Other regular visitors were afraid that they might be shut out of the parks altogether.
When reached by phone, the management offices of the World Park and the Black Bamboo Park said they were unaware of any plans for demonstrations and that there were no changes to their opening hours during the Games.
Beijing maintains that the Olympics should not be politicised but the Games has become a major lightning rod for criticisms against the Chinese government, be it over the Darfur issue, the riots in Tibet, or the country's rights record.
chinhon@sph.com.sg
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