Olympic relay halved in Macau

Macau: Macau's leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay has been cut in half from seven hours to just over three, Games officials said on Thursday.

With the flame in the Chinese territory on Saturday before returning to the mainland, the shorter time came on the advice of Olympic officials in Beijing, a Macau Olympic spokeswoman said, without elaborating.

"After tests on Saturday, we found that was the most suitable time in terms of how it will affect the city," she told reporters.

Nevertheless, Manuel Silverio, first vice-president of the Macau Olympic Committee, said the route itself would remain at the planned 27 kilometres (17 miles).

The relay in the gambling haven will now begin at 3:30 pm (0730 GMT) and end at about 6:50 pm, Silverio said, instead of 10 am to 5 pm.

One of the torchbearers will be casino billionaire Stanley Ho.

"We are confident of having a smooth and uninterrupted torch relay," Silverio told a press conference, adding he hoped that the media would be "objective" in its reporting.

Some 2,700 police will be on Macau's streets for the event, said Ma Io Kun, the deputy police commissioner.

Ma added he had received no intelligence about planned protests and those wishing to demonstrate should apply via the police as normal.

"We have not received any intention or applications to protest," he said, adding that the possibility of chaotic protests like those in Europe earlier in the relay were "quite low."

Silverio said potential demonstrators and officials should show "mutual respect".

Asked if police would arrest anyone flying Tibet flags or openly supporting the Chinese-ruled Himalayan region, Ma said, "We will need to see whether they will disturb the relay or if there is disorder in the activity. We will make our decision in accordance with the actual situation."

The Olympic torch has been dogged by protests including in Athens, London and Paris against China's rule of Tibet and its human rights record.

The torch is due in Macau by air at 10:30 pm on Friday after being paraded around Hong Kong earlier the same day.

Macau and Hong Kong, former colonies of Portugal and Britain respectively, are both specially administered Chinese territories. (AFP)