Beijing Olympic Games: Security Update
The Chinese media, focusing on the preparations for next year’s Olympic Games, has reported that the security element of the global event will include the installation of thousands of CCTV cameras. The move is part of a wide effort to eliminate disruptive behaviour among fans, and the surveillance cameras to be deployed were yesterday trialled in a football match held between Barcelona and local stars Beijing Guo’an. According to the Beijing Youth Daily, a police officer was positioned on every level of the stadium, recording the fans’ actions in the process.
One paper in particular, the Beijing News, said that 2,000 cameras are set to be installed in the Chaoyong district – a key Olympic site - within the next six or so months. These will compliment and augment the large numbers of CCTV devices already in situ. These, at present, earn their keep from monitoring traffic and goings-on in public places, including Beijing’s focal Tiananmen Square. Other security measures, the newspaper said, were also set to be implemented. These include resourcing site-patrol duties out to 70,000 volunteers.
In respect of the 2008 Olympic Games, Zhou Yongkang, the Public Security Minister and China’s most prominent policeman, urged that any perceived threat to the event be strictly guarded against, with the warning that “hostile forces” would be struck hard. Amongst the key threats covered by his statement, he said, were “ethnic splitism, religious extremism” and those related to both terrorism and the controversial group Falun Gong.
A recent statement was made by the Beijing Olympic Organisation Committee’s President, Liu Qi. He urged that residents around the Olympic sites-to-be adopt certain measures of etiquette in order to promote a sparkling cultural image. Speaking to the 1,600 people in attendance at a rally, Mr Qi said: "Everybody should cultivate good habits from now on”. He added: "Everybody should follow and protect public order, no matter if you are driving or walking. Clean words, clean environment and clean air. Clean up bad habits such as spitting, throwing rubbish and so on."
The Olympic Games is expected to encourage approximately 550,000 visitors from overseas, alongside an estimated 22,000 representatives of the media. In deference of the huge exposure China will receive while the games are in progress, officials have already started a drive to promote cleanliness and formality amongst Beijing’s residents. Amongst the areas targeted are spitting, bad driving and swearing.
Source – Security International’s Far East Correspondent
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