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China police 'rough up' and arrest ITN man
Shekhar Bhatia and Kiran Randhawa in Beijing13.08.08
A British journalist told how he was "roughed up" and quizzed by Chinese police as he was arrested in Beijing today.
ITN's John Ray, 44, said he was knocked down, thrown into a van and asked what his opinion on Tibet was after covering a demonstration. He suffered cuts and bruises.
Ray was taken away as activists from Students for a Free Tibet handcuffed themselves to railings at the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park, near the National Stadium.
Ray, ITN's Beijing correspondent, managed to speak on his mobile phone to a colleague, saying: "I have been roughed up. They dragged me, pulled me and knocked me to the ground. Now they are filming me."
An exchange with the police officers could then be heard with Ray saying: "I am a British journalist. I have all the Olympic accreditation I need." Officers then asked: "What's your opinion on Tibet?" Ray replied: "I have no opinion on Tibet. I am a journalist."
Ray said he was taken to a restaurant and forced onto the floor by plainclothes and uniformed officers. He was freed an hour later when his producer showed police his papers. He said: "All I could think was, 'If this is how they treat British journalists how do they treat other people who annoy them?'"
Foreign Secretary David Miliband today demanded an explanation from Beijing. A British embassy spokesman said it had "expressed our strong concern to the Chinese authorities". Eight members of the campaign group were arrested after two of them hung a Free Tibet banner. Ray said he had seen the banner being unfurled and went to report on it. "There was a lot of shouting and pushing, though no hitting," he said.
"I got dragged out of the park. Suddenly a lot of police arrived and I was dragged into a restaurant and forced onto the ground.
"I was trying to protect my kitbag and camera. I kept shouting 'British journalist' in Chinese. They wouldn't let me show them my ID. I tried to get away at one point and they pushed me over and dragged me back in.
"No one was explaining why I was arrested. One police officer in a white shirt made a 'T' sign. They dragged me out. I was flung in the back of one of the police vans. I argued with them. Eventually someone ar rived who spoke English. One of my colleagues, who is Chinese, came and explained." He added: "The protest may have been illegal but reporting on it is legal under the undertakings given to the International Olympic Committee."
Londoner Lucy Fairbrother, 23, and Scot Iain Thom, 24, were deported after unfurling a 140sqft banner reading One World, One Dream, Free Tibet in Beijing just before the Games started.
Reader views (7)
No DNA taken I wager?
- Christophe, uk
When in Beijing, do as the Chinese do, nothing.
Call this non democratic? Yes, but where in the world does real freedom of speech and the press exist?
- David Nigel Braham, Milan Italy
Michael Wilkins - "brutal, corrupt, thug" - sounds like George Dubya!
- Mick, Billericay
I have been on many peaceful protests in the UK and have witnessed far worse from UK police - similarly in the US. It seems like the UK media is currently on a 'lets diss everything about China bandwaggon' I realise the country is not perfect - But as the journalst says "There was a lot of shouting and pushing, though no hitting".
He was unfortunately caught up in social disorder, and wrongly dragged (no pun intended) into it. Yes it was a mistake, but this would happen any day in the West, and wouldn't even make two lines of newsprint.
- Karl, London, UK
The President of the IOC, as well as all the members of the selection committee, should be forced to resign in disgrace. They have failed horribly in preserving the integrity and honour of the Olympic movement they were entrusted to preserve. Anyone with an ounce of common sense recognizes the Red Chinese Leaders as the brutal, corrupt, thugs, they have proven themselves to be time and time again.
- Michael Wilkin, Clinton, USA
In response to Mark, apparently Ken Livingston doesn't believe China is a police-state, but then they are providing him with a free-holiday to watch the Olympics so maybe he's not 100% objective...
- Sean J, Lonodn, UK
Does anyone really think that the Chines government are anything other than a nasty bunch of totalitarian thugs?
- Mark, London, UK
