Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:08:00
NTDTV

CHAN: Uyghurs living in Turkey accuse China of oppressing Turkic speaking Muslim Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region.

STORY: Protesters were again present yesterday as the Beijing Olympic flame started its journey in Istanbul. Istanbul is the second stop of the global torch relay. Yesterday the flame was flown in from Kazakhstan.

Amid heavy security a group of 40 Uyghurs living in Istanbul gathered before the torch lighting ceremony to protest.

They accuse China of oppressing Turkic speaking Muslim Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region.

Xinjiang Uyghurs have long been a thorn in the side of Chinese officials.

Rights groups accuse China of using the U.S. led war on terror as an excuse for widespread suppression of Uyghurs and also to curtail religious freedoms.

Meanwhile 80 torch-bearers are expected to cover the Istanbul leg in about 4 hours. As Karademir, a promising Turkish figure skater, jogged along carrying the torch 
she was met by a demonstrator with an "East Turkestan" flag. The demonstrator was immediately apprehended and detained by police.