Live feed to Olympics protest in Argentina

Again, the reason I created this thread is to see how countries other than the west and China see this Olympics relay.

It looks people in Tanzania think pretty lowly of what the west is doing. But they do have other issues with China.

An article from Tanzania:
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=3613903

Torch leaves after peaceful stay

Vice President Dr Ali Mohammed Shein flagged-off the Olympic Torch relay in Dar es Salaam yesterday calling on Beijing-bound Tanzanian sportspersons to take the torch’s visit as an inspiration to win medals at the Olympic Games.

He said Tanzanians have always been mere participants at the games and added that it is high time they go to Beijing for the August’s event as serious contenders for medals.
After his brief speech in Swahili, the Vice President handed the torch to Minister in his office (Union Matters) Mohammed Seif Khatib, who was the first bearer and the relay started amidst tight security with a police helicopter hovering over the relay route.

Hundreds of Dar es Salaam residents lined along the Mandera road, while others joined the procession singing ‘Tanzania Amani na Upendo’ (Tanzania, peace and love) as the torch covered the 5-km route without any heckling to the new National Stadium.

“It will be a memorable moment for me,” said one of the torch bearers Syllersaid Mziray, a former Taifa Stars coach. “I feel great; it is an event I always cherish in my life,” said former 3000m Steeplechase world champion Dorcus Inzikuru from Uganda.

UN Under Secretary General Prof. Anna Tibaijuka, who was the last torch bearer, held it aloft in the stadium and was given the microphone for the last word. “It is an honour and privilege for Tanzania to have been chosen as the sole country in Africa to host the Olympic Torch. “The torch is a symbol of unity, peace and togetherness and I am very much happy and proud to have carried it,” she added.

The Dar es Salaam City Mayor Adam Kimbisa thanked the Dar es Salaam residents for having received the torch peacefully. “I thank Dar es Salaam residents for having refused to jump at matters that do not concern them,” he said in reference to protests that greeted the torch during its journeys of Europe and Americas.

“They refused to promote other people’s agenda,” he added. The torch was however greeted with placards as it entered the new National Stadium, with members of Tanzania Consumer Advocacy group disapproving Chinese policy of dumping counterfeits in Tanzanian market.

“Tanzanian consumers we don’t want counterfeit goods in our markrt,” read one placard, while another had the message: “We support the Olympic games in China but not counterfeit goods.” After enjoying its peaceful stay in Dar es Salaam, the torch was taken to the Julius Nyerere Airport ready to continue with its journey to Muscat, Oman.

 

Sounds like a great success in Oman.

An article from Oman:

http://omanobserver.com/
(That website won't allow me to link to the article)

Warm welcome to Olympic torch
Passion, patriotic fervour mark Olympic Torch Relay

By Ashok Purohit
MUSCAT — It was a welcome never seen before. The people of the Sultanate came out in full strength to warmly embrace the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Torch Relay yesterday, marking the historic run with by passion, patriotic fervour, enthusiasm and energy. Right from the early morning, when the Olympic Flame landed to a friendly welcome at the Muscat International Airport, till the dazzle of the fireworks to signal the culmination of the run with the cauldron lit by the torch, the run left a long-lasting impression on one and all. The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Beijing Olympic Games Organising Committee (Bocog), Liu Jin Min, in his address at the concluding ceremony hailed the strong and excellent relationship between Oman and China.

“The age-old strong relations between the Sultanate and China has been one of the main reasons why we picked Muscat as part of the global torch relay. We are delighted to experience such a wonderful welcome and the arrangements have been really good.” The visiting official hailed the wise policies of His Majesty the Sultan for making the country such a flourishing and stable country, which is widely respected across the world. “The stability and the respect gained by Oman under the leadership of His Majesty is praiseworthy. Today our age-old relations have been further strengthened by the superb success of the torch relay here,” he added.

Never has the city seen so many people lined up on the roads to cheer the 80 torch-bearers all along the 20-km route. Little did it matter whether it was a six-month-old baby or a 75-year-old man or a physically challenged person, they were there to welcome the torch and celebrate the historic occasion. Muscat, which was the ninth destination of the global leg, showcased in crystal-clear terms that the city deserved to host the torch relay and underlined the age-old relation between the Sultanate and China. The incident-free torch run definitely will go down in the Sultanate sports annals as one of the biggest milestones.

The official torch relay run began at 5 pm when the chief guest, Sayyid Al Mutassim bin Hamoud al Busaidy, received the torch and handed it to the first torch-bearer, His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tareq al Said, Advisor to His Majesty the Sultan. In fact, the torch was lit from the second lantern after the first’s flame got extinguished while lighting the ignition trigger. With a near-capacity crowd in the best of the attires flocking at the starting point, the Sohar Boat Roundabout, near Al Bustan Palace Hotel, it was a carnival atmosphere and it continued all along. Traditional dancers and folk troupes kept entertaining the teeming crowd, which grew bigger as the torch reached the Muttrah Cornice, though one of the celebrity invitees, Indian cricket star Ravi Shastri, finished his leg much before the overflowing crowd could watch him in action.

Sayyid Fatik bin Fahr al Said took over the torch from HH Sayyid Shihab, and as the race progressed smoothly, one thing was evident, the outpouring of Muscat people was terrific. After the two Royal torch-bearers, top officials including the Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Sports Affairs, Rashad bin Ahmed al Hinai, former OOC Vice-Chairman Dr Hammad bin Hamed al Ghafri, Under-Secretary at the Diwan of Royal Court Subaa Hamdan al Saadi, followed by various association chiefs took turns before the first lady torch-bearer, Oman Volleyball Association Vice-Chairman Habiba al Hinai took over and the first torch relay presenter nominee was Minoo Saher from Samsung.

Coca-Cola and Lenovo are the other two presenters and Oman’s young geo-scientist, Layaan Mohammed Ali was the first nominee of Coca-Cola while Chinese Liu Jingyun was the first torch-bearer from Lenovo. Each presenter had six nominees for the run. Muscateers thronged to watch the torch till the final destination at the Qurum Natural Park, where the final torch-bearer, Oman Olympic Committee Vice-Chairman Habib bin Abdulnabi Macki lit the specially-built cauldron to mark the conclusion of the Muscat leg of the torch relay. Chief guest Sayyid Al Mutassim bin Hamoud al Busaidy welcomed the torch and thanked China for putting Muscat on the Olympic Torch Relay and wished all success for the Beijing Olympic Games.

After a break at the Muttrah Corniche, where the only unsavoury incident took place when the local photographers and the Chinese counterparts got into a heated argument over the vehicle for coverage and needed police intervention to calm the tempers. With the evening sun setting in, the torch relay was also given a water salute by the coast guard ship. The torch relay was run amidst elaborate security and with 18 commandos of the Special Task Force from the Royal Oman Police surrounding the torch-bearer all along, there was never any threat of any untoward incident. At the grand finale, besides the address from the chief guest, the Minister of Sports Affairs, Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, read out a message from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Chairman Jacques Rogge.

Following the explosive fireworks to mark the celebrations, a cultural programme was presented to conclude a historic day in the Sultanate’s sports. The Journey of Harmony will continue as the torch departs for Islamabad today evening. The ‘Light the Passion and Share the Dream’ slogan seemed apt for Muscat as there was a passionate show of strength to support the torch and the thousands did share the dream of China to hold a successful Olympics, come this August 8. It was a day of celebrations where all the torch-bearers, sports officials and guests congratulated the country on the milestone event.

Here are few quotes of some of the torch-bearers: His Highness Sayyid Fatik bin Fahar al Said, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Heritage and Culture: “It is a great honour personally and also for Oman to have the Olympic torch. Oman’s relations with China are quite old and we share a rich history. To be one of the 22 countries to host it is matter of pride.” Rashad bin Hamed al Hinai, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Sports Affairs: “It is absolutely fantastic feeling and congratulate the Oman Olympic Committee and all the ministries, departments and the people for making it an outright success.”

Dr Hammad bin Hamed al Ghafri, former OOC vice-chairman: “I am glad to be nominated and feel proud as an Omani national to hold the torch. It is a proud and unforgettable moment.” Habib Abdulnabi Macki, OOC Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Torch Relay Committee: “We are proud to hold an incident-free run and the public outpouring speaks volumes of the success. It is an unprecedented achievement and we are glad to have organised an event that has been loved by all.” Ravi Shastri, former Indian cricket captain: Great! Fantastic feeling to hold the Olympic torch. It is really an honour to take part and impressed to watch so many youngsters come to cheer the torch run.

They are the future sportsmen and I wish hem all the best. I am thrilled to receive the torch replica as a souvenir. It is special and is a priceless gift, which I will always cherish.” Saleh Khalifa al Khusaibi, former OOC Secretary-General: “Thrilled! I am pleased that the torch is passing through Muscat and having been associated with Olympics, I am honoured to run.” Sayyid Khalid bin Hamed al Busaidy, Oman Football Association Chairman: “It is a beautiful feeling and one of the joyous moments of my life. We are all proud on this day.” Hilal al Sinani, OOC Secretary-General: “I am delighted to be part of this historic achievement.”

Soud bin Hamad al Rawahi, former Oman Athletic Association chairman: “It is a terrific day and we all should celebrate the occasion. I am thrilled to be part of it.” Minoo Saher, Samsung nominee: “One of the most memorable experiences in my life. It shows the human harmony and am quite proud to be associated with the Olympic Torch Relay.” Hamed al Wahaibi, former champion rally driver: “I am very proud to be a torch-bearer and it is a great day for Oman.” Mutassim bin Hamoud al Zadjali, Oman Tennis Association General Secretary: “It is a great honour and the torch reflects the Olympic spirit and Olympism. The success here is a big support to the values of Olympic Games.” Layaan Mohammed Ali, Coca-Cola nominee: “I am quite nervous but am happy to be part of the Olympic celebrations.

The fact that I am taking part as a Coca-Cola nominee is a big event and am proud to be selected.” Remarks from other officials and presenters: Hamad al Jabri, Oman Athletic Association Vice-Chairman: “We are all glad on the success of the torch relay. We wish to thank China for nominating Muscat as one of the stops on the global leg. It is a milestone in the sports history.” David Moran, Coca-Cola representative: “We are one of the oldest supporters of the Olympic Games and the sixth time to have become the torch relay partner. We have picked 100 environmental champions to raise awareness of protecting environment. We picked one in Oman - Faris al Khalasi - to run today and happy on the arrangements.”

 

Live streaming from Pakistan that I am using right now:

http://www.ptvworldnews.com.pk/Databases/live-webcast.asp

some others feeds (can't say if these will work):
http://wwitv.com/portal.htm?http://...ndex.html?http://wwitv.com/television/160.htm

rtsp://real2.pakistanvision.tv:7070/broadcast/mp/broadcast/ptvworld.rm?PT

http://wwitv.com/a1/b2275.ram

I didn't realize that Pakistani speaks English.

 

It was another successful relay. But Pakistan made it into a completely political show. Both the President and the Prime Minister were there to make long speeches about the Pakistan-China friendships.

It becomes clear to me that they are not going to take it out to the general public. I lost interest quickly and start to listen to the online 1st quarter earning conference call for a stock that I own (EDU). It went up 5% today so it is a pretty good day for me personally.

Tomorrow will be exciting. The relay is going to be in India and hundreds of thousands of Tibetans lived in India. Will be extremely interesting to watch the live stream. I bet CNN will provide a live stream also.

Anyway, the following is a Pakistani article on the relay run:
http://thepost.com.pk/SportsNews.aspx?dtlid=156002&catid=5

Pakistan proud to play host to Torch Relay

Musharraf and Gillani attend ceremony | Democracy, Olympics share common values of fairness, justice: PM

Sports Correspondent/Agencies

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf has expressed his great pride and happiness over Pakistan playing host to Olympic Games along with China.

Addressing the inaugural of the Olympic Torch Relay event at Islamabad Sports Complex, he hoped that world would glimpse the colours of faith, resolve and harmony, which were trademark of Chinese Nation. Pakistan welcomed the Olympic flame in accordance with its traditional culture of hospitality and friendship, and fully lauded the strong and everlasting friendship Pakistan and China enjoyed together in all spheres of life, he added. He especially expressed his great joy for being among the children, who were the future of Pakistan and the fact that Chinese friends were also a part of ongoing colorful festivities being held today.

Addressing the colorful event, PM Yousaf Raza Gillani congratulated all volunteers, Pakistan Olympic Committee termed the Olympian torch rally as a journey of friendship, harmony, Global brotherhood and reconciliation, and the relay torch symbolizes that very globalization, and being a representative of a democratic government he vowed to promote games.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said that Olympics and democracy share common values of fairness and justice, Pakistan must try and improve its sports standards during the democratic dispensation.

“There is lot of commonality between the spirit of Olympics and that of democracy. Both share the great human values of fairness, justice, healthy participation, and competition based on level playing field for all,” he said while addressing a spectacular colourful ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay here at the Liaquat Gymnasium.

The Chinese host, president Beijing Olympic Committee, Mr. Chou also paid glowing tributes to the everlasting and strong Pak-China friendship, and expressed his great admiration about the beauty and serenity of Islamabad’s landscape and said that he would forever cherish the warm and tumultuous welcome accorded to him by Pakistani masses.

While fully lauding and endorsing the strong bonds of friendship that exist between Pakistan and China and said that Beijing Olympic Committee and Chinese government eagerly awaited the arrival of Pakistanis at the game event. He said that China yearned for better and high performance from Pakistani athletes and players to perform much better. Former Olympian Samiullah, who was given the title of flying horse, carried the former Olympic torch while the current torchbearer was accredited to the Global Squash Champion Jehangir Khan, who while addressing the occasion said that although squash was not a part of Olympic criteria, yet he had always aspired to be an Olympian. He also said that squash was a global phenomenon, and its inclusion in the Olympian family would be decided next year.

Earlier, the much-awaited torch relay of Beijing Olympics 2008 was held in a peaceful-orderly manner in and around Pakistan Sports Complex on Wednesday afternoon. President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani both were present at the start of the torch relay in Islamabad.

The head of the state and head of the government held the torch after it was lighted by Chinese representatives of Beijing Olympics organising committee. The Executive Vice President (Bocog) Jianj Xiaoyu handed over the Olympics torch to the President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani who then delivered it to former hockey star Samiullah.

The Olympic flame witnessed its tenth-stop relay in Sports Complex of Islamabad with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani attending the opening and celebration ceremonies. The colourful ceremony took place behind closed doors at the sports stadium in Islamabad Youngsters waved Pakistani flags and cheered as the flame was brought on a traditional horse-driven chariot. The army band played to herald the arrival of the torch.

“It is indeed a great honour for Pakistan and its capital Islamabad to be included in the torch relay for the Beijing Olympics,” Pakistan Olympic Association chairman Arif Hassan said in a speech.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani said: “The Olympic torch today places upon us as citizens of a growing yet shrinking world a great responsibility, a responsibility we must stand up and accept, a responsibility to share a universal vision of harmony, a responsibility to make the world a peaceful and passionate home for our future generations and to whom history will make us answerable.”

 

Did not want to get up at 5:30am to watch the live feed from India.

From all the news reporting, there were so many security that the torch relay basically occurs in a vacuum.

I am more interested in how the locals report this event. From most of the news reporting from the Indian, their reporting are mostly 50% geopolitics between India, the west and China, 30% Tibetan protest and 20% torch relay.

If I have to pick, India is on the side of French, England, and USA. On the other hand, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Argentina, Tanzania, and Pakistan are on China's side.

The next stop is Thailand. It is a very devout Buddhist country. Lets see what happens.

The reporting from a big Indian newspaper:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...torch_relay_gets_over/articleshow/2960359.cms

Govt relieved as Olympic torch relay gets over

NEW DELHI: The government heaved a sigh of relief after the Olympic torch passed through 68 hands in a ritualised relay that spoke volumes for India's security and its commitment to China to maintain a peaceful relay.

There was no incident marring the short distance run between Vijay Chowk to India Gate where tennis duo Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi lit the Olympic cauldron.

The government sacrificed the traffic comfort of Delhi's citizens to let two things happen simultaneously - maintain its democratic credentials by allowing Tibetan protests to go on all over Delhi and protect the torch and its relay from disruptions.

The result was a diplomatic victory for India even though the only people who saw the relay were the 15,000 policemen who were guarding the torch and the runners themselves.

In a city of teeming millions, the torch passed through in a silent bubble, carefully crafted by India’s security agencies, which were not even deterred by intelligence that some people might try an immolation bid.

After the disruptions in London and Paris, the focus of the world and China was on India. India has been home to over 1,50,000 Tibetan refugees for the past half-century as well as the Dalai Lama.

The very fact that Tibet's unique culture, religion and way of life has been maintained and preserved for 50 years has been largely because they - under the spiritual and political leadership of the Dalai Lama - have been given a home in India.

Tibetans, unlike many other communities that have also made their home in India, have retained their uniqueness, not becoming part of the Indian melting pot.

India was also a cause for concern for the Chinese because they didn't completely believe that India wasn't part of what they saw as a grand global conspiracy against China, particularly in its Olympic year.

It wasn't for nothing that the Chinese foreign office called in the Indian ambassador in the middle of the night on the day when seven of its embassies all over the world were attacked by Tibetan protesters.

George Friedman, chairman of Stratfor, said, "The Chinese note that the Dalai Lama has been in India ever since China invaded Tibet. The Chinese regard him as an Indian puppet. They see the latest unrest in Tibet as instigated by the Indian government, which uses the Dalai Lama to try to destabilise the Chinese hold on Tibet and open the door to Indian expansion. To put it differently, their view is that the Indians could shut the Dalai Lama down if they wanted to, and that they don't signals Indian complicity."

According to him, the Chinese also see a "strategic alliance" between the US and India to "partly embarrass them over the Olympics and partly to increase the stress on the central government".

"It is critical to understand that whatever the issues might be to the West, the Chinese see Tibet as a matter of fundamental national security, and they view pro-Tibetan agitation in the West as an attempt to strike at the heart of Chinese national security," he added.