Chinese warned
Chinese paramilitary officers have been warned they will be breaking Australian law if they try to intervene in any protests during the Canberra leg of the Olympic torch relay.Authorities have boosted police powers ahead of next week's event amid concerns of violence between pro-China demonstrators and pro-Tibet supporters.
But Canberra relay task force chairman Ted Quinlan has warned the two Chinese paramilitary officers who escort the flame to Australia against becoming involved in any crowd control.
The officers are only allowed to relight the flame if it goes out.
The tracksuited officers were described as "thugs" by London 2012 chief Sebastian Coe during the violence-plagued British leg of the torch relay.
Mr Quinlan is adamant the Chinese won't have a security role in Canberra, adding there would be legal ramifications if they became involved in any clashes.
"They will not take part in any security operations, because they do not have the authority to do so, and if they acted in any way to interpose themselves into crowd control, they would be outside the law of the land," he said.
"I don't want them coming into the country under the threat of being arrested.
"At the end of the day, we want to be diplomatic; they're our guests in our country.
In Beijing, China has defended its controversial flame attendants, rejecting the suggestion they are "thugs".
"The escorts are volunteers, they are not law enforcement personnel," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said.
"Their duty is to maintain the safety, purity and dignity of the Olympic Games."
The special police powers, similar to those used during the Sydney Olympics, will allow officers to search protesters and bystanders along the relay route and seize "prohibited items" which could be used as weapons, including balls, eggs, balloons filled with paint and buckets of water.
Up to 5,000 pro-China protesters are expected to converge on the nation's capital on April 24 to support the Beijing flame.
They will be opposed by a similar number of human rights protesters denouncing China's actions in Tibet.
The increased police powers have been declared under the Major Events Security Act 2000 which was introduced for the Sydney Olympics.
The declaration covers the 20km relay route from the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin to Parliament House and along Commonwealth Avenue to Canberra's main business precinct, Civic.
The beefed-up powers will be in place for eight hours on the day before the relay, April 23, and for all of April 24.
"It's standard stuff in the modern era in relation to major events," Mr Quinlan said.
"It's clearly necessary if we're going to have gatherings and there's a likelihood of protests."
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