The event was held in Pyongyang on April 28. It was the first time that the Olympic torch has traveled to North Korea. A crowd of thousands waving pink paper flowers and small flags with the Beijing Olympics logo were organized by the authoritarian regime [172] watched the beginning of the relay in Pyongyang, some waving Chinese flags. The event was presided over by the head of the country's parliament, Kim Yong Nam. The North, an ally of China, has been critical of disruptions to the torch relay elsewhere and has supported Beijing in its actions against protests in Tibet. Kim passed the torch to the first runner Pak Du Ik, who played on North Korea's 1966 World Cup soccer team, as he began the 12-mile route through Pyongyang. The relay began from the large sculpted flame of the obelisk of the Juche Tower, which commemorates the national ideology of "self-reliance" created by the country's late founding President Kim Il Sung, father of current leader Kim Jong Il, who did not attend.
The United Nations Organization and its children's agency UNICEF withdrew their staff from, saying that it wasn't sure the event would help its mission of raising awareness of conditions for children.[173] and amid concerns that the relay will be used as a propaganda stunt. “It was unconscionable,” said a UN official who was briefed on the arguments. North Korea is frequently listed among the world’s worst offenders against human rights.
The event was held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 29. Some 60 torchbearers carried the torch from the downtown Opera House to the Military Zone 7 Competition Hall stadium near Tan Son Nhat International Airport along an undisclosed route. Vietnam is involved in a territorial dispute with China (and other countries) for sovereignty of the Spratly and Paracel Islands; tensions have risen recently following reports that the Chinese Government had established a county-level city named Sansha in the disputed territories[174], resulting in anti-Chinese demonstrations in December 2007 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. However to sustain its relationship with China the Vietnamese government has actively sought to head off protests during the torch relay, with Prime Minister Nguy?n T?n D?ng warning government agencies that "hostile forces" may try to disrupt the torch relay.[175]
Prior to the rally seven anti-China protestors were arrested in Hanoi after unfurling a banner and shouting "Boycott the Beijing Olympics" through a loudhailer at a market[176]. A Vietnamese American was deported for planning protests against the torch[177], while a prominent blogger ?i?u Cay (real name Nguy?n V?n H?i) who blogged about protests around the world and who called for demonstrations in Vietnam was arrested on charges of tax evasion.[178] Outside Vietnam, there were protests by overseas Vietnamese in Paris, San Francisco and Canberra. Le Minh Phi?u, a torchbearer who is a Vietnamese law student studying in France wrote a letter to the president of the International Olympic Committee protesting China's "politicisation of the Olympics", citing maps of the torch relay at the official Beijing Olympic website depicting the disputed islands as Chinese territory and posted it on his blog.[179] One day before the relay was to start, the official website appeared to have been updated to remove the disputed islands and dotted lines marking China's maritime claims in the South China Sea.[180]
香港Media coach driving in front of a torch relay runnerLarge numbers of supporters lined along the torch relay route in Hong Kong
香港: The event was held in Hong Kong on May 2. In the ceremony held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Donald Tsang handed the torch to the first torchbearer, Olympic medalist Lee Lai Shan.[181] The torch relay then traveled through Nathan Road, Lantau Link, Sha Tin (crossed Shing Mun River via a dragon boat, which had been never used before in the history of Olympic torch relays)[182][183], Victoria Harbour (crossed by Tin Hau, a VIP vessel managed by the Marine Department) before ending in Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai. [184] A total of 120 torchbearers were selected to participate in the event[185] consisting of celebrities, athletes and members of the pro-Beijing camp politicians. No representatives from the pro-democracy camp were selected as torchbearers.[186] One torchbearer could not participate due to flight delay.[187] It was estimated that more than 200,000 spectators came out and watched the relay.[188] Many enthusiastic supporters wore red shirts and waved large Chinese flags.[189] According to Hong Kong Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang, 3,000 police were deployed to ensure order.[190]
There were several protests along the torch relay route. Members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, including pro-democracy activist Szeto Wah, waved novelty inflatable plastic Olympic flames, which they said symbolised democracy.[191] They wanted accountability for the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and the implementation of democracy in Hong Kong.[192] Political activist and Legislative Council member Leung Kwok-hung (Longhair) also joined the protest, saying "I'm very proud that in Hong Kong we still have people brave enough to speak out."[189] Pro-democracy activists were overwhelmed by a crowd of torch supporters with insults like "running dog," "traitor," "get out!," and "I love the Communist Party."[193][194] At the same time, about 10 members of the Civil Human Rights Front had orange banners calling for human rights improvements and universal suffrage. Onlookers were saying "Aren’t you Chinese?" in Mandarin putonghua as they tried to cover the orange banners with a large Chinese national flag.[191] One woman had an orange sign that said, "Olympic flame for democracy", while a man carried a poster with a tank and the slogan "One world, two dreams". A university student Christina Chan wrapped the Tibetan snow lion flag around her body and later began waving it. Several onlookers heckled Chan, shouting "What kind of Chinese are you?" and "What a shame!"[195][194] In the end, she and some of the protesters were taken away against their will by the authorities via a police vehicle "for their own protection."[196] [197]Members of the Civil Human Rights Front protesting near Tsim Sha Tsui
