Taiwan media criticise rejection of Olympic torch

TAIPEI, Apr 27 (Reuters) Taiwan media criticised the government's rejection of a plan for the Olympic torch to pass through Taipei on its way to Beijing, saying politics should not be allowed to intrude into sport.

Beijing, host of the 2008 summer games, unveiled the torch relay schedule yesterday and included self-governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own, as the stop before Hong Kong.

That part of the 137,000-km route around the world ignored the island's demand that the torch not enter or exit via mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau.

Mass-circulation newspapers voiced dismay with the pro-independence government of President Chen Shui-bian for turning the torch away.

''By refusing the torch relay through Taiwan, the government is pleasing a small group of independence activists but depriving all sports enthusiasts and by far the greater majority of our people of their chance to watch the torch come through Taiwan,'' the China Post said in an editorial.

The inclusion of Taiwan would be a political boon to the island's two biggest opposition parties, which favour better relations with China, and are looking to win the presidency from the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party next year.

But government sporting officials said yesterday they could not accept the torch being passed directly on to Hong Kong, which is part of China.

They also attacked the labelling of Taiwan as ''Chinese Taipei'' in Olympic affairs, a compromise that was reached in the late 1970s to allow the return of China to the sporting movement.

The rejection is likely to upset China, particularly as the games organisers said on Thursday they had received a letter of acceptance from Taiwan's National Olympic Committee last month.

The Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) called a news conference for 0530 GMT today.

The United Daily News said Taiwan should stick with the Olympics to ease its ''international orphan'' status in the world, a reference to China's pressure to keep Taiwan out of international organisations such as the United Nations.

''It would be okay simply to announce that Taiwan will refuse to attend next year's Olympics!'' it said with sarcasm in an editorial.

The Liberty Times published an article noting that the torch had reached Taiwan in 1964, before the Tokyo Games, from the Philippines before moving on to Japan.

REUTERS BJR DS1238