Two Americans Said Detained in Tibet Protest; Status Unclear
by Josh Gerstein
Wed, 6 Aug 2008 at 5:00 AM
Two Americans were among four activists detained by Chinese police following a Tibet-related protest early today outside the National Stadium, more commonly referred to as the Bird's Nest, a group which claimed credit for the demonstration said.
Students for a Free Tibet said it planned the protest, which involved activists scaling two 120-foot-high light poles and dropping banners reading "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet," Tibet Will Be Free," and Chinese characters meaning "Free Tibet."
The detained Americans were Phill Bartell, 34, of Boulder, Colo., who originally hails from Bridgewater, N.J., and Tirian Mink, 32 of Portland, Ore., a spokeswoman for the group, Frances Patterson said. Also detained at the scene were two British nationals: Iain Thom, 24, of Scotland, and Lucy Marion, 23, of London, Ms. Patterson said.
"We have not had any updates about them," the spokeswoman said about the four. "As far as we now know they're in detention. We don't know anything more."
A report on the incident by the state-run Chinese news agency, Xinhua, caused some confusion about the participants. Xinhua said that four British nationals, three men and one woman, were detained over the protest and that they had entered China on tourist visas.. The news agency said police took 12 minutes to respond to the demonstration.
A spokesman for the British Embassy said immediate steps were being taken to contact the detained Britons. "We und that two British nationals were detained during the free Tibet protest near to the national stadium in Beijing. We are now in touch with Chinese authorities. We trying to get consular access to" the detainees, said the spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with British government policy.
A spokesman for the American Embassy in Beijing, Nicholas Snyder, asserted that an American law, the Privacy Act, precluded the release of information about any actions the embassy may have taken in connection with the Tibet protest or the ensuing detentions.
However, Mr. Snyder issued a general statement calling on the Chinese to respect the right to protest.
"The United States strongly supports the internationally recognized right to free expression. Everyone is entitled to express their views free of fear," the diplomat said in a statement e-mailed to The New York Sun. "As we approach the Olympics, China should expect world attention to be focused on the games and China--both positive and negative. We urge China to put its best face forward in support of human rights, tolerance, and freedom of expression."
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