China deports eight U.S. protesters: group

BEIJING (Reuters) - Eight Americans detained in Beijing for demonstrating over Tibet during the Olympics have been deported following pressure from the U.S. government, a protest group said.

The eight were among dozens of foreigners who evaded security checks to protest for Tibetan independence in the Chinese capital. They faced up to 10 days in detention after hanging a "Free Tibet" banner near an Olympic venue and other small demonstrations.

But their organization, Students for a Free Tibet, said in an email late on Sunday that the U.S. protesters were deported after the U.S. embassy in Beijing criticized their detention.

The group also said two protesters, Briton Mandie Mckeown and ethnic Tibetan German Florian Norbu Gyanatshang, remained in detention in Beijing. It said Tibetan areas were under intensive security as the Games ended on Sunday.

"Tibetans in Tibet and Tibet analysts fear an escalation of the Chinese government's clampdown in Tibet after the Olympic spotlight on China has moved on," Students for a Free Tibet said in an emailed statement.

Calls for Tibetan independence from China were at the heart of demonstrations around the world during the international torch relay ahead of the Beijing Games and several small protests were held in the capital city prior to and during the Games.

The protests were triggered by China's crackdown on protests and rioting around the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, in the spring.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Ken Wills)