Torch kept under wraps in Jakarta stadium, away from rallies 0401321843, 0401321840 (Roundup)

Apr 22, 2008, 10:00 GMT

Jakarta - Jakarta's leg of the Olympic torch relay took place Tuesday inside the city's main sports stadium and out of the public eye as dozens of activists staged a pro-Tibet rally outside.

The relay was originally planned to pass through large stretches of the bustling city, but because of security concerns and on the request of Beijing, the route was confined to the Bung Karno Sports Complex in central Jakarta, organizers said.

Security was tight with more than 3,000 police and military officers, backed by water cannons and police dogs, deployed in and around the stadium.

Police broke up about 150 anti-China protestors and detained eight activists, including one Dutch national, as well as seizing flags of pro-Tibet activists during a rally outside the stadium, witnesses said.

But police allowed dozens of other protestors to rally at its gate.

After brief questioning, all of the detained local protesters were released, but the Dutchman was still being questioned and later was taken to the immigration office for further investigation, officials said.

The protesters carried banners reading: 'No human rights, no Olympics,' while some wore T-shirts saying, 'Free TIbet.'

About 80 torch bearers - including Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Chinese Ambassador Lan Linjun and badminton world champion Taufik Hidayat - took part in carrying the flame for seven kilometres inside the stadium.

Members of the public were barred from directly watching the relay, but about 5,000 invited guests, including Indonesian and Chinese students, witnessed the relay.

'Nobody can enter the area - the sports stadium - without an official invitation,' said Sumohadi Marsis, head of the Olympic torch organizing committee.

A group of about 100 elementary school students expressed disappointment after they were turned away from the stadium by security authorities after failing to show invitations.

The torch arrived in Jakarta from Kuala Lumpur, where the Malaysian leg of the relay was held Monday as hundreds of people - mostly dressed in red in support of China - watched the torch pass through the city's streets, which were devoid of the demonstrations against China's crackdown on anti-government protesters in Tibet that have marred other stops on the route, including London, Paris and San Francisco.

Rita Subowo, chairwoman of Indonesia's sports committee, said at a press conference Monday that initially, the Indonesian relay organizers had decided to give people the chance to see the torch relay, but after protests in other countries, the committee decided to change the route at Beijing's request.

Subowo urged the public against mixing sports with politics, race or creed and expressed the hope that the 'Chinese will be able to resolve their own internal problems.'