08/10/2008 (SCMP)
(1) Christina Chan Hau-man, the University of Hong Kong student who raised a Tibetan flag during the Olympic torch relay in the city, and a friend tried to display the banned Tibetan "snow lion" flag - which they had hidden underneath a Canadian flag. As they were trying to uncover the Tibet flag, several security guards who had been monitoring them pounced and covered them with a blue sheet before carrying them out.
(2) Just before the end of last night's events, two US members of the Students for A Free Tibet group, Matt Browner-Hamlin and Brianna Cotter, also tried to display a Tibet flag. Both were escorted from the venue.
(3) Mr Leung Kwok-hung and fellow activist Koo Sze-yiu caused a stir at the end of Chinese competitor Alex Hua Tian's run in the dressage event when Mr Koo unfurled a banner reading "Human right, [sic] freedom for China, no dictatorship". Mr Leung said he had smuggled the banner in his underpants.
Hua, who was warmly received by spectators, had already had a tough round when his horse, Chico, was spooked by camera flashes as reporters took pictures of a scuffle between activists and security guards. The rider laughed when he was asked about the protest. "I'm immensely proud to ride for my country," he said, adding that it was great to compete on home soil. "I don't have a full picture of the [the protest attempt], so I can't really comment."
Here are the relevant Chinese-language news coverage of the same incidents:
(1) (Apple Daily; The Sun; Sing Tao; Ming Pao;Ming Pao; FYJS.cn) Yesterday, Christina Chan arrived at the Olympics equestrian event grounds with a a civic radio reporter. They carried foam rubber boards with a Canadian flag and slogans cheering on the Canadian
competitors, underneath which they hid a Free Tibet snow lion flag and protest slogans respectively. When the Canadian rider appeared at 6:40am, they took out the boards and intended to remove the Canada-related material. Several security guards surrounded them and covered them up with a blue blanket.
There was a wrestling match that lasted more than ten minutes before the security guards seized the flag and slogan. During that time, Christina Chan kept shrieking while her friend yelled that they were being assaulted. The audience members sitting behind them began to complain, even using foul language:
「搞搞震！拉晒佢地出去啦！」(Troublemaker! Drag them all away!)
「叫佢早唞啦！」(Tell her to take a rest!)
「拉×佢走啦」(F*cking drag her away!)
「喺度搞搞震」(Causing trouble here)
「俾錢佢走啦！」(Give some money so she can leave!)
「睇下佢好似食白粉咁！」(She seems to be on heroin)
「最怕吵著馬匹，選手苦練四年爭大獎，這樣影響中國和香港聲譽！」(The worst part is to
disturb the horses. The competitors trained hard for four years to win a medal. This will affect the reputation of China and Hong Kong!)
When the Number 5 horse came near the stand, it became scared and jumped backwards. Fortunately, this was during a warm-up and it did not result in any point deductions. The two were carried out of the grounds by the security guards. Afterwards, Christina Chan attempted to re-enter but her passage was blocked by a human chain of security guards.
Christina Chan claimed to have sustained an injury to her elbow as well as getting her skirt ripped. She also said that she felt that she had been sexually abused when she was being carried out. "They touched every part of my body 咩地方都畀人掂晒啦." She wondered why it was male security guards who carried her out. She considered filing a police complaint, but she has no confidence in the police.
There is more discussion on Christina Chan at the Hong Kong Golden Forum, but it has nothing to do with Free Tibet. Is that too cryptic? Well, let us say that it was about her physical attributes.
(2) (Apple Daily) After Christina Chan got blacklisted, she gave her evening tickets and a snow mountain flag to two foreign friends Matt and Brianna from the Students For A Free Tibet. As the evening event reached an end, the two raised the flag. The security guards surrounded them and took them away with their flag.
(3) (Apple Daily) Legislative Council member Leung Kwok-hung and April 5th Movement member Sze-yiu entered with VIP tickets in hand. The two were searched and their banners and clothes (which have the words Human Rights Is More Important Than The Olympics) were removed before they were allowed to enter. When the Chinese rider Alex Hua finished his event, the two shouted slogans to vindicate June 4th. They were carried out of the grounds by more than 10 security guards.
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