Hong Kong expels more activists as Olympic Torch arrives

Apr 30, 2008, 12:40 GMT

Human rights activists protest outside the venue of the Olympic Flame Receiving Ceremony, Hong Kong, China, 30 April 2008. The flame finally arrived on Chinese soil in the ex-British colony to mark the beginning of the hundred day count down to the start of the Beijing Olympic Games. The ceremony went smoothely, although scuffles between human rights activists and pro-Beijing elements broke out afterwards in front of the venue. EPA/ALEX HOFFORD

Hong Kong - The Olympic Torch landed back on Chinese soil Wednesday at the end of its troubled world tour as more activists were denied entry to Hong Kong ahead of its arrival.

A marching band and flag-waving children greeted the torch as it arrived by plane from Vietnam and was carried to the tarmac by Yang Shu'an of the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee.

Hong Kong officials including Home Affairs Secretary Tsang Tak-sing and Olympic Committee President Timothy Fok held a brief reception to welcome the torch.

On Friday, the torch will be taken on a 30-kilometre relay through the city of 6.9 million which will be watched closely for any protests or demonstrations over Tibet and human rights.

Hong Kong is the only place in China apart from Macau where anti-China demonstrations are allowed, thanks to the territory's 'one country, two systems' arrangement with Beijing.

However, the city's Beijing-appointed administration has taken a hard line against protestors so far, expelling Danish sculptor and human rights activist Jens Galschiot and his sons when they arrived Saturday to take part in anti-China protests.

Four more activists have also been refused entry at Hong Kong international airport, it emerged Wednesday, including two members of the Students for Free Tibet movement and the London-based spokesman for the Free Tibet Campaign, Matt Whitticase.

In a statement sent to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa after he was ordered to return to the UK, Whitticase said: 'Everywhere one looks, China is slamming the door in the face of free expression.

'Tourists are being refused entry to Tibet, journalists are being prevented from reporting freely from Tibet, Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai and now I have been denied entry to Hong Kong.

'Denying me entry not only represents a slap in the face for the concept of 'one country, two systems'; it also demonstrates yet again that China clearly has much to hide in Tibet.'

Actress and Dafur activist Mia Farrow is due to arrive in Hong Kong Thursday and criticize China for failing to stop the genocide in the Sudan in a speech at the Foreign Correspondents Club on Friday.

The Immigration Department on Wednesday refused to confirm or deny claims that Farrow too would be denied entry when she landed in Hong Kong.

Some 3,000 police are due to guard the torch relay route through Hong Kong from 10 am Friday and the notorious blue-tracksuited Chinese police guards will be back in action for the event.

Singer-actor Jacky Cheung, windsurfing gold medallist Lee Lai-shan and Victor Li, son of Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-shing, will be among the torch bearers.