Olympic Games 2008

Chinese welcome Sarkozy letter - protests continue

Article published on the 2008-04-22 Latest update 2008-04-22 15:07 TU

Jin Jing with Sarkozy's letter
(Photo: AFP)

The Chinese government has declared that French President Nicolas Sarkozy's letter to the handicapped fencer Jin Jing was "appreciated by the Chinese people", after French Senate president Christian Poncelet delivered it to her in Shanghai. But Paris City Council last night named the Tibetan Buddhist leader the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen and protests continue to dog the Olympic torch as it heads for the Baijing Games.

In Indonesia, police broke up a small rally by human rights activists, as Jakarta's Bung Kano stadium got ready for 5,000 people to observe the relay.

Two South Koreans have pulled out of welcoming the torch when it arrives in their country on 27 April, as has one social justice campaigner in Australia. There Foreign Minister Stephen Smith declared that Chinese officials are encouraging thousands of their supporters to swamp human-rights campaigners when the torch goes to Canberra on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, a European Commission delegation, led by its president José Manuel Barroso, arrives in Beijing. It will lobby for more Chinese markets to be opened to European business.

Questioned by journalists, a Commission spokesperson said that the delegation will also raise human rights and freedom of expression.

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama met US special envoy on Tibet Paula Dobriansky for the 12th time and asked for Washington's help in backing his cause in Tibet.