Beijing - China expelled three dozen Westerners, including Mr Brian Trought from Cork, who demonstrated against the government's actions against the Falun Gong spiritual movement, the state news agency said yesterday.
The 35 had all left China by yesterday evening, the Xinhua agency said. They had protested by sitting cross-legged, chanting and unveiling a banner in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Police arrested them. Xinhua said the protesters were treated with "humanitarian concern" - contradicting Falun Gong claims that some were indecently assaulted, slapped and kicked.
Tiananmen Square has been a frequent venue for protests by Chinese Falun Gong members since the government banned the group in July 1999. The Swedish ambassador to China, Mr Kjell Anneling made an official protest to the Chinese government after some women demonstrators claimed they were sexually assaulted by police. The demonstrators said they wanted to publicise the plight of Chinese Falun Gong followers.