[Archive 2008-08-06] Group claims activists held in China after free Tibet protests

Historical archive — originally published 2008-08-06. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

The non-profit student-led organization Students for a Free Tibet, which seeks to make Tibet a separate country from China, has claimed that some of its activists have been detained in Beijing after protesting near an Olympic stadium, holding banners such as "One World, One Dream: Free Tibet" and "Tibet Will Be Free."

The British Embassy in Beijing is investigating these reports, which involved two Britons and two Americans. A British Embassy spokesman said that they "are in touch with the Chinese authorities and are requesting immediate consular access should this information be correct."

The American protestors have been named as Phill Bartell from New Jersey and Tirian Mink from Oregon. The British protesters have been named as Iain Thom and Lucy Fairbrother.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Group claims activists held in China after free Tibet protests by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.