BEIJING: Chinese police will deal harshly with social or political demonstrations at the Beijing Olympics, a top security official said Friday.

With 28,000 journalists expected to attend, the Aug. 8-24 Olympics offer a rare chance for protesters to express grievances against China's communist government on issue including religious freedom, Tibetan independence and global warming.

Liu Shaowu, deputy director of the Olympic Security Command Center, said security forces would stop any form of demonstration at or around venues. He also suggested that protests deemed threatening would be snuffed out far from Olympic sites.

"As for violating China's sovereignty and encouraging separatists and terrorists, definitely we will not allow that," Liu told reporters. "We will deal with that according to Chinese law."

Liu's comments, made at a rare media briefing on Olympic security, are likely to compound concerns that Beijing wi...

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