CHINA:China has defended the use of security guards on the Olympic torch relay, described as "thugs" by Lord Coe, chairman of the London 2012 organising committee, after Australia and Japan said they would not be welcome when the flame passed through their countries this month.
"The [ torch] escorts are volunteers, they are not law-enforcement personnel. Their duty is to maintain the safety, purity and dignity of the Olympic Games," China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters.
"We hope the relevant countries can fully understand this point and co-operate with us."
Governments across Asia are scrambling to avert further public relations disasters for China, with the Olympic torch due today to begin the final leg of a relay that has seen it run the gauntlet of pro-Tibetan and human rights groups in Europe and the US.
It was still unclear yesterday whether China's "security runners" would be issued visas to enter Japan. One government official said Japan was surprised Chinese security forces were allowed to enter other countries that had hosted the relay.
The crisis deepened yesterday when an event planned to mark the torch's visit to Nagano, Japan, was cancelled, even though officials said there would be no changes to the route of the torch relay itself.
"We want to concentrate on the original Olympic torch relay," said the relay committee.
Japan's security minister on Friday said he was opposed to letting China send its security guards to protect the Olympic torch, which arrives in the city of Nagano on April 26th.
Kevin Rudd, Australia's prime minister, yesterday insisted the Chinese would not provide any help with security, hours after Kevan Gosper, International Olympic Committee deputy president and Australia's senior Olympic official, said Chinese security could support Australian police if there was "really serious trouble" in Canberra on April 24th.
"The Chinese torch attendants have a practical responsibility in relation to servicing the flame, but have no responsibility in terms of security," Mr Rudd said.
"This has been made clear to the Chinese authorities. Under no circumstances, no matter what occurs, will they be called upon to perform a security function."
John Coates, head of the Australian Olympic Committee, said the Chinese security members would follow the relay in a bus, although two of its people would travel on the ground with the torch. "The two of them will be involved in the transfers from one relay runner to another but they are not involved in the security."
Pakistan, a loyal ally of China that is due to receive the torch today, has also made a last-minute change to the route, confining all ceremonies to a tightly guarded stadium in the capital and cancelling a procession along Constitution Avenue, Islamabad's main boulevard.
An interior ministry official in Islamabad said the government was concerned about the possibility of suicide attacks.
Groups thought to be linked to Muslim Uighur militants opposed to China's rule in Xinjiang, the only Chinese province or "autonomous" region with a Muslim majority, have in the past targeted Chinese nationals in Pakistan.
From Islamabad, the torch will travel to New Delhi, where the government has shortened the route over fears that Tibetan protesters might try to disrupt the procession.
The route is still to be announced but Indian media has reported the torch will travel less than a third of the original 9km route. - ( Financial Times service )