Fed: Chinese students say huge crowds made for successful relay

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2008
Fed: Chinese students say huge crowds made for successful relay

By Julian Drape and Cathy Alexander

CANBERRA, April 24 AAP - A Chinese students' group says it was surprised so many Chinese
flocked to Canberra to "protect the torch" on the sole appearance of the Olympic flame
in Australia.

The Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) ran a web-based campaign to encourage
students from across the country to gather in the nation's capital for today's Olympic
torch relay.

As many as 15,000 Chinese arrived by bus, car and plane to cheer on the torch, many
waving large red Chinese flags.

Canberra-based CSSA organiser Zhang Rongan said he was thrilled so many students answered
the call.

"We were thinking initially at the most 5,000, but it turns out more than 20,000 came,"

Mr Zhang told AAP.

He said students paid their own travel costs to Canberra and weren't funded in any
way by the CSSA.

"They just rented the buses to get down the cost," he said.

"They paid their own way. Nobody could afford to pay for so many people.

"They were voluntary to come here. You can't organise so many people."

So many pro-China demonstrators arrived in Canberra that their organisers asked them
not to use public toilets or local buses for fear of inconveniencing local people.

Demonstrator Raymond Wang, who will spend 16 hours on the bus today travelling between
Melbourne and Canberra, said Chinese organisers gave the order on the bus.

"We don't want to interrupt local public order," the student said.

Mr Wang said more than 60 buses travelled from Melbourne.

"Chinatown will be empty," he said.

Mr Wang denied the demonstrators had been bused in or paid by Chinese authorities.

Participation was voluntary, and they had paid $50 each for the bus trip, he said.

Fellow protester Les Cui, of Melbourne, was pleased there were so few human rights
protesters at the relay, which proceeded more smoothly than in other western capitals
such as London and Paris.

"I thought there would be some more protesters," he said.

Mr Wang said western countries were ill-informed about Tibet, and the media were "not
telling the truth".

"Tibet is, was and always will be a part of China," he said.

Mr Wang said he was proud of his country, and the Olympics were a good opportunity
to show the world the "real China".

Chinese students were now looking forward to a "very successful" Olympics in August,
CSSA's Mr Zhang said.

AAP jcd/sb/jl/sp

KEYWORD: OLY08 FLAME CHINESE

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