IOC says wants to see Beijing protest parks used

By Karolos Grohmann

BEIJING (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday it would have liked to see protesters actually use designated protest parks during the Beijing Games.

Not a single permit for the 77 protest applications has been issued by Chinese authorities.

"We would welcome that these areas are generally used," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies told reporters. "(Other) Games organizers have used designated areas of the city for protests in the past."

Weeks before the start of the August 8-24 Olympics, China had said it had set up three demonstration zones to counter criticism Beijing is crushing human rights to prevent disruptions to the meticulously planned Olympics.

Would-be protesters though had to a apply for a protest permit five days in advance.

No permits have yet been issued and park managers have not even made plans for handling demonstrators, because they do not expect any.

Olympic officials said 74 people resolved their problems after applying to protest, state media reported. The other three did not meet regulations.

A human rights group said at least three potential protesters had so far been arrested and two of them convicted to one year of re-education through labor, after applying for a protest permit.

Most applicants wanted to raise labor, medical and welfare issues -- chronic problems in China.

"The idea of demonstrations is to resolve issues," Games Vice President Wang Wei said. "We were quite happy to hear that many of these issues were resolved. Once there was a solution they (potential protesters) were satisfied."

Asked whether the non-use of the parks only reinforced foreigners' beliefs that China did not allow freedom of speech, Wang said there were no such restrictions for the population.

"Everyone has the right to speak. Nobody says you do not have the right to speak.," Wang said.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

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