BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES SECURITY “Without security guarantees there cannot be a successful Olympic Games, and without security guarantees the national image will be lost.” --Chinese president, Hu Jintao SUMMARY Historically suspicious of international inquiry, the Chinese government has not been as transparent in their security preparations as Greece was in the lead up to the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. Due to the much reported abuses of human rights and its policy toward Tibet, China will focus its security resources and emergency personnel more on deterring and dismantling protests than preventing a terrorist event. Consequently, the most realistic threat to those visiting Beijing during the Olympics is the prospect of being caught in a protest; the Chinese government will quickly respond with force due to the potential damage it may inflict on its growing national reputation as the world watches. BEIJING PREPAREDNESS In December, 2004, Beijing’s Olympic Security Coordination Team began work on the city’s Olympic security master plan. The plan involves the participation of almost every local and national security agency, safety departments within various governmental organizations, and even subway train, bus and taxi drivers. A seven-year language training program for police and emergency services personnel was initiated in 2001 when Beijing was picked to host the 2008 Summer Olympics. In developing the security plan, Beijing security officials consulted with their security counterparts in the United States, Germany, Britain, France and Russia as well as Greek officials involved in the 2004 Summer games. According to a report published by the US-based Security Industry Association (SIA), China will spend $300 million on security at Olympic venues. The plan involves a multi-layered, all encompassing approach to security, including air, land and sea protection. Security features are similar to those used in Athens, with a vast surveillance network of cameras and microphones that analyze dozens of languages. In addition to its acquisition of the latest surveillance equipment, the Chinese government has also staged a number of anti-terrorism drills. In the summer of 2007, security teams staged a drill in the city of Dalian in which police stormed a plane after a simulated hijacking. In the scenario, the hijackers were from China's restive Xinjiang province where many resent Beijing's rule. Senior government officials recently announced that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has established a dedicated unit tasked primarily with managing potential terror attacks of a nuclear or biochemical nature. This unit’s responsibilities include protecting the air above China’s relevant stadiums and arenas, and ensuring the security of coastal venues. The unit will work in tandem with armed forces and police, assisting with the prevention of terrorist attacks, plus aiding with the consequent rescue missions in the aftermath of any such event. Additionally, the PLA security unit will take responsibility for the management of China’s borders to halt the threat of terrorists entering the country during the Beijing Olympics. Interpol's Secretary General, Ronald K. Noble, confirmed that an Interpol support team will be sent to Beijing armed with in-depth data regarding internationally-known suspected criminals, including their names, images, fingerprints and relevant DNA information. Mr. Noble also confirmed that the international police organization had created its most elaborate screening system for both visa and passport applications, enabling Interpol officials to identify stolen, forged or lost travel documents: "Our system will permit automated screening of thousands of individuals against Interpol's global most-wanted databases at the time of their visa application, which will provide China with the most advanced early detection system of fraudulent travel documents and criminals currently available."
Olympic sites for the 2008 games will have airport-style security checks, with X-ray machines, metal detectors and scanners for body searches. POLITICAL TURMOIL Protests and Boycotts Expected Although no country has yet indicated a willingness to boycott the entire 2008 games, some groups are initiating independent campaigns to do so while others have called for protests. Pro-Tibetan independence groups, such as Students for a Free Tibet and the Tibetan People's Movement, have initiated campaigns to protest for Tibetan independence. Chinese officials have said they will prevent demonstrations staged both inside and outside Olympic venues. Some human rights groups reported that Chinese government security services have already started targeting Chinese activists ahead of the games. In addition to monitoring NGOs that are concerned with domestic Chinese issues, the Chinese intelligence agency is also monitoring possible terrorism-related activities and anti-American demonstrations. Sabotage Plot On April 10th of this year, the Chinese government announced that it had foiled a sabotage plot against the Olympic Games. According to the Chinese security ministry, Uyghur separatists in the North-Western Province of Xinjiang planned to conduct suicide bomb attacks and kidnappings in Beijing to disrupt the events. Uyghur activists however claimed the Chinese fabricated the plot to prevent people in the region from voicing their grievances against the government. Xinjiang province is a predominantly Islamic region of China, largely populated by Turkic peoples many of whom wish to make Xinjiang an independent state called East Turkestan. Olympic Specific Legislation Expected to Cause Confrontation The Beijing municipal authority has declared it would implement more than 70 local laws and decrees before the opening ceremonies. Some of these laws will ban Chinese citizens from the city of Beijing during the Olympics who do not have Beijing residency permits, called hukou. Other laws will banish vagrants, beggars, and people with mental illness from the city, as well as forbid Chinese and foreign NGOs from protesting. The municipal authority will also call for a "special holiday" forcing Beijing citizens to stay at home during the games. The government has also strengthened its laws relating to prosecution of those deemed to be disseminating material not beneficial to the state. TERRORISM Terrorism experts believe the risk that either a home grown or international terrorist event will disrupt the games is low. China’s security operations and resources appear to be focused more on the prevention of political demonstrations. China has a low crime rate. Pickpockets target tourists at sightseeing destinations, open-air markets, airports, and in stores, often with the complicity of low-paid security guards. Violence against foreigners, while rare, is on the increase. Over the past year, incidents of violence against foreigners, including sexual assaults, have taken place, usually in urban areas where bars and nightclubs are located. Robberies, sometimes at gunpoint, have occurred in western China and more recently in Beijing. Travelers are sometimes asked by locals to exchange money at a preferential rate. It is illegal to exchange dollars for RMB except at banks, hotels, and official exchange offices. Due to the large volume of counterfeit currency in China, unofficial exchanges usually result in travelers losing their money and possibly left to face charges of breaking foreign exchange laws. If detained by police under suspicion of committing an economic crime involving currency, travelers may be delayed for weeks or months while police investigate the allegations. Recently, there have been instances in Beijing and elsewhere of mobs in bar districts attacking foreigners. Nationalism is on the rise and disputes among Chinese citizens or between Chinese and foreigners can quickly escalate. Caution should be exercised when visiting bar districts late at night, especially on weekends. All visitors should be aware that they have no reasonable expectation of privacy in public or private locations in China. All hotel rooms and offices are considered to be subject to on-site or remote technical monitoring at all times. Hotel rooms, residences and offices may be accessed at any time without the occupant’s consent or knowledge. Many hotels and apartment buildings may be of substandard construction, lack emergency exits, fire suppression systems, carbon monoxide monitors and standard security equipment (locks, alarms, and personnel). Americans traveling abroad should be reminded to review fire evacuation procedures for hotels, apartments or offices. Chinese law does not permit foreign private security officers to carry firearms in China. Foreign private security officers have no law enforcement authority in China. Due to the increased access restrictions around Beijing during the Olympics, the Mission recommends the use of expeditors and/or Chinese chauffeurs to assist the movements of VIPs. To date, Beijing Olympic organizers have established one approved private guard company during the Olympics to provide security services, Beijing Security Service General Company. CONTINGENCY PLANNING From evacuation plans to enterprise-wide emergency notifications, SecurAssist can develop a customized contingency plan to fit your specific needs while in Beijing. SecurAssist personnel are standing by 24 hours per day to assist. Please contact us at 1-800-377-8641 for more information. ONLINE SECURITY RESOURCES The International Liaison Department of the Beijing Security Command Center for the 2008 Olympic Games has a website in English and French. This site, called Beijing Olympic Security Web, is located at www.bjayab.cn. It features security news and a security tips section, and advertises timely up-dating of information and effective communication between Olympic security personnel and other international security organizations. TRAVEL SECURITY TIPS The best protection against becoming a victim of crime, civil disturbance or a terrorist event is to remain alert. The following, although generic in nature and applicable in most areas of the world, may help you avoid becoming a target of opportunity, or an innocent victim, while in Beijing:
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