Beijing has advised spectators coming to next month's Olympics to leave their banners at home, even if they do not contravene rules forbidding the airing of political or religious views at venues. Beijing authorities have long been concerned that its citizens will take some of the gloss off the Aug. 8-24 Games through bad manners and on Monday released its “Spectators House Rules” along with a “Good Habit for a Good Games” campaign. The rules, which Beijing organizers said were “virtually the same as for the Athens and Sydney Olympics”, ban banners and flags larger than two meters by one meter although officials said they would prefer that even smaller signs were not displayed. “We advise that you do not bring banners of any kind to the Games because we must create a fair play environment for the athletes from all countries,” Huang Keying, deputy director of spectator services division at the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), told a news conference. “The kind of banner with “Go China!” on it would be unfair for athletes from other countries.” The Olympic charter bans “any kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda ... in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”. The Beijing rules forbid any “display for commercial, religious, political, military purposes, or those for territory, human rights, environmental protection or animal protection” without prior official permission. The regulations also ban “Flags of non-participating members of the Olympics and Paralympics”, which seems to be aimed the flag of Taiwan - which is banned in China. China considers Taiwan to be a renegade province to be reunited with the mainland by force, if necessary, and the self-ruled island competes at the Olympics as “Chinese Taipei” under a special flag. Those breaching the rules, which also ban gambling, sit-ins, demonstrations, drunkenness and streaking, would be dealt with according to the transgressions, Huang said. “Different cases will be handled by different departments following relevant rules or laws. We have specially trained staff who will communicate with spectators.” Umbrellas will be allowed in venues in a break from the rules that excluded them from the venues at the last Olympics in Athens, Huang said. “In foreign countries people like to sunbathe, but in Beijing we prefer to avoid the sunlight,” she added. “So we will allow people to bring collapsible umbrellas as long as they don't put them up in the stands.” Umbrellas are a common sight in Beijing during August, acting as parasols on the rare days of bright sunshine and protection from the relatively frequent downpours. The other change from the regulations for the Athens, Huang said, was the ban on large numbers of coins, which is not relevant in Beijing where paper money predominates. - Reuters __
