Chinese police detained two Western followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual group today after they tried to protest on Tiananmen Square against the government's crackdown on their faith, witnesses said.
Police grabbed the pair, a young man and woman, as they tried to unfurl protest banners.
The man shouted "Falun Dafa is good" after he was put into a police van which then drove off through crowds of Chinese tourists. Falun Dafa is another name for Falun Gong.
The protest during the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliament, was the latest in a series by Western Falun Gong followers, most of whom were detained and then expelled from China after one night in custody.
A statement from Falun Gong in New York said the pair were Australian. Australian embassy officials were not immediately available for comment.