Two Chinese women, in their seventies, who repeatedly asked permission to use Beijing's Olympic protest zones, could be sent to forced labour camps as punishment.

Authorities have yet to allow a single protest in any of the three specially-designated, and much-trumpeted, zones.

Now would-be protestors Wu Dianyuan (79) and Wang Xiuying (77), who used to be neighbours until they were forcibly evicted from their homes, have been ordered to serve one year in a 'Re-education Through Labour' centre, according to a relative.

Chinese authorities have been reported saying they had no record of the sentences.

Neighbourhood surveillance

AP reports:

" … The women were still at home three days after being officially notified they would have to serve a year long term of reeducation through labor, but were under surveillance by a government-backed neighborhood group, said Li Xuehui, the son of one of the women.

" … "Wang Xiuying is almost blind and disabled. What sort of re-education through labor can she serve?" Li said in a telephone interview. "But they can also be taken away at any time." …"

The two women, who apparently made numerous application to use the Olympic protest parks, have been campaiging for justice since being kicked out of their Beijing homes to make way for redevelopment in 2001.

Detained and forced out

Earlier this week, Chinese authorities revealed that they haven't approved any of the 77 applications from people who wanted to hold protests in the three zones - at Ritan Park, Purple Bamboo Park and World Park - during the Olympics.

Some of those who applied have been detained or forced out of the city, and at least one is missing.

A few days after the Olympics started, The Australian reported that Beijing taxi drivers had been ordered by police to report passengers they take to any of the protest zones.

" ... They now routinely inform the authorities about the number of such passengers, their description including dress, their nationality, the exact location where they left the taxi, and any interesting conversations that might have been overheard ..."

That's somewhat disturbing.

Calling for transparency

Meanwhile, the Financial Times is reporting that International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials have, for the first time, openly criticised their Beijing hosts for the intolerance of public protests.

The paper says it was told by the IOC that it would "continue to ask for greater transparency from Beijing city authorities concerning the official protest zones in parks near Olympic venues and would like to see them genuinely used in Beijing".