Torch arrives in Jakarta amid tight security



JAKARTA (Reuters) - The Olympic torch arrived in Jakarta amid tight security on Tuesday as authorities prepared for a relay in a sports stadium in the Indonesian capital, the head of the local organising committee said.
Indonesian authorities have deployed about 2,500 policemen and about 1,000 members of the military to guard the torch relay, which has drawn a wave of anti-China protests during stopovers in Europe and the Americas following Beijing's crackdown last month on protests in Tibet.

Pro-China demonstrations, many involving Chinese studying overseas, are becoming increasingly common as well.

There have been several demonstrations outside the Chinese embassy in Jakarta over Tibet, although they have been small in scale in the mainly-Muslim nation.

"From the report that we received last week, there will be some groups protesting. They are welcome to protest as long as they do not disturb us," said Sumohadi Marsis, head of the organising committee for Jakarta.

M. Gatot, senior official at the Indonesian Society for Free Tibet, told Reuters that about 500 supporters planned a rally in Jakarta. ADVERTISEMENT



The relay had originally been due to pass through large stretches of the bustling city, but sports officials announced earlier this month the route would be restricted to the vicinity of the Bung Karno Sports Complex in central Jakarta