By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter
Police said Friday that they will crack down on any illegal activities in connection with the Olympic torch relay, increasing tension as human rights groups are vowing to block the relay, which reaches Korea on Sunday.
``We will react sternly against any illegal activities,'' the nation's policy agency said in a statement.
Police plan to dispatch hundreds of police officers to protect torchbearers and fend off any rallies obstructing the relay. They will also apply rules strictly against those apprehended for law violations.
The police announcement came a day after human rights groups said they will block the torch relay in protest of China's human rights violations against Tibetans and North Korean defectors.
The torch, scheduled to reach South Korea on April 27, will be passed on to North Korea the following day. It will arrive in Beijing in early May.
``China, as host of the Olympic Games, must abide by the common values of humanity and respect the human rights of the underprivileged,'' said Christian Accountability for Society, Save North Korea and Helping Hands Korea in a joint press conference.
They called on China to stop its ``forceful repatriation of North Korean refugees and its violent crackdown'' on Tibetan protestors.
The civic groups plan to gather in front of the World Peace Gate at Seoul's Olympic Park on Sunday morning to disrupt the torch relay. Some North Korean human rights groups are also planning to blockade bridges on the Han River to stop torchbearers from crossing the river.