Olympic Games 2008

American tourist killed in Beijing attack

Article published on the 2008-08-09 Latest update 2008-08-11 09:57 TU

A Chinese police officer attempts to block the camera at the Drum tower.
(Photo: AFP)

Despite a strong security presence, the Beijing Olympics have suffered their first casualty. A Chinese man attacked an American couple and their tourist guide with a knife, killing one of them as they were visiting the historic Drum Tower monument, a tourist site in the centre of Beijing Saturday morning.

The attacker then committed suicide by jumping off the second floor of the monument.

The two tourists were relatives of an American Olympic volleyball coach. 

Local media identified the attacker as Tang Yong-ming, a 47-year-old from the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

China has promised the best possible security for the Olympics, and has deployed more than 150,000 police across Beijing.

Meanwhile, pro-Tibet activists outside China are trying to maintain public attention on their cause, which was highlighted during the Olympic flame's journey round the world.

About 500 pro-Tibet activists rallied in a park in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday. Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama will visit Japan in November for a series of lectures and meetings on Buddhist themes, but has no plans to meet Japanese government officials.