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SEOUL: The Beijing Olympic torch on Sunday began the South Korean leg of its troubled worldwide relay, with cheering flag-waving Chinese vastly outnumbering protesters amid a huge police presence.
A huge cheer rang out as the relay began, accompanied by 60 track-suited police runners. Another 60 will take over at the half-way point of the 24-kilometre (15-mile) route.
Police mounted a massive security operation involving 8,300 regular and anti-riot officers backed up by two helicopters.
Activists angry at China's actions in Tibet, and especially at its forced repatriation of North Korean refugees, had vowed to disrupt the relay.
Two police helicopters circled the park and thousands of regular and riot officers were deployed in the area. Riot officers guarded local subway stations.
But pro-China demonstrators in their thousands vastly outnumbered some 300 protesters at Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul where the relay began around 2:20 pm (0520 GMT), an AFP correspondent reported.
A brief clash between the two groups ended when riot police carrying shields separated them. Some of the Chinese threw water bottles and drink cans at their adversaries.
"China, stop killing North Korean refugees," read one banner.
China sends back all those North Koreans it catches as economic migrants, a policy strongly criticised by rights groups. Refugees face severe punishment, or even reportedly a death sentence in some cases, on their return.
Activists say China has been stepping up repatriations before the Olympics and has increased the rewards it gives for tip-offs.
Reverend Soh Kyung-Suk, co-chairman of Christians for Social Responsibility, criticised the response of the Chinese students to the protests as "not democratic". He said some 300 anti-China demonstrators turned up at the park.
"China, which does not respect human rights, is not entitled to host the Olympics," he told AFP. "It is a shame for South Korea to tolerate the Olympic torch relay for such a country."
Human Rights Watch, a US-based rights group, has said Seoul should use the occasion to urge Beijing to change its policy on North Korean refugees.
Some activists in a skit depicted the repatriation of a hooded and bound North Korean.
But the students, chanting "Go, Go China!" were not inclined to let anyone spoil modern China's coming-out party this August.
"The Olympics should be successful and will be successful," said a 26-year-old e-commerce student who identified himself only as Wang.
He carried a huge Chinese flag and another was painted on his face.
"One China and One Nation. The pro-Tibetan demonstrators are liars," Wang said.
"Tibet was, is, will always be a part of China," read one banner.
The torch landed from Japan where protesters hurled rubbish and flares during its run on Saturday and brawled with Chinese supporters. At least four people were injured in the scuffles in the mountain resort of Nagano.
Earlier legs were also hit by demonstrations, particularly in London and Paris.
The relay was due to finish at City Hall in central Seoul at 7:00pm. The torch will be flown late Sunday to North Korea, a strong ally of China, which has arranged an elaborate protest-free welcome.
- AFP/so
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