BBC NEWS
Security surrounds Bangkok relay

More than 2,000 police and security officials are guarding the Olympic torch as it is carried through Bangkok for the Thai leg of a worldwide relay.

Barricades have been set up along parts of the 10km route and thousands have turned out to watch the event.

Two people were stopped from unfurling a banner, but a BBC correspondent says the event has been mainly good-natured.

There were large protests during relay stages in San Francisco, Paris and London over China's actions in Tibet.

The BBC's Andrew Harding, in Bangkok, says there was a brief scuffle within seconds of the start of the relay as a Thai and a foreign pro-Tibet activist tried to unfurl a banner.

The sign was quickly ripped from their hands by a group of Chinese men who surrounded the protesters, he said.

Thai officials say the route from Chinatown to the Royal Plaza, which is expected to take three hours, could be changed or shortened at the last minute.

The deputy prime minister, Sanan Kachornprasart, was the first of 80 runners to set off from Chinatown.

"We reaffirm our position that we clearly separate politics and sport," AFP news agency quoted him as saying.

"Thailand is ready to organise the torch relay peacefully and orderly."

Gentle handling

The head of Thailand's Olympic Commitee, General Yuthasak Sasiprapha, said he expected the relay to pass off without major disruption.

"There are not many Tibetans in Thailand, but there are local human rights groups and pro-democracy groups who are planning some kind of operation at the moment," he said.

"However our police will handle the operations gently and prevent any offences occurring."

The torch and runners are being escorted by police patrols and motorcycles all along the route.

Our correspondent says Thailand has strong links to China and the relay stage has been publicly endorsed by the revered royal family.

India arrests

The relay has been dogged by protests over Tibet, with chaotic scenes in London, Paris and San Francisco.

In India, home to the world's largest community of Tibetan exiles, as well as their government-in-exile and spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, the event on Thursday passed off without major disruption.

Some 16,000 police sealed off the city centre along the truncated relay route. At least 100 pro-Tibet activists were arrested.

In China, there were reports of protests outside French-owned Carrefour supermarkets in Beijing over France's attitude towards Tibet and the Olympic Games.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has not confirmed that he will be attending the opening ceremony of the Olympics, citing concerns about human rights in Tibet.

The torch relay also includes stops in Indonesia, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam before returning to Beijing for the Games in August.

OLYMPIC TORCH ROUTE
Torch lit in Olympia on 24 March and taken on five-day relay around Greece to Athens
After handover ceremony, taken to Beijing on 31 March to begin a journey of 136,800 km (85,000 miles) around the world

Torch arrives in Macau on 3 May. After three-month relay all around China, it arrives in Beijing for opening ceremony on 8 August


Published: 2008/04/19 09:41:16 GMT

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