The mysterious Chinese guards who provoked an outcry as they aggressively protected the Olympic torch this week have been revealed as a paramilitary spin-off from the country's army, according to reports. Chinese state television has said that the squad – who wore distinctive blue tracksuits – were handpicked from the People's Armed Police (PAP).
The PAP, part of the the People's Liberation Army (PLA), is accused of suppressing recent protests in Tibet. The Free Tibet Campaign says it received eyewitness accounts connecting the PAP with brutality, including firing live ammunition into crowds of Tibetan protesters on 3 April in Grdze county in the Sichuan province. Visit www.freetibet.org