Games petitioners 'face punishment'

Shanghai has warned protesters they will be punished if they try to travel to Beijing to petition the government around the time of the Olympic Games, the city's best-known political dissident, lawyer Zheng Enchong , said.

Officials had told petitioners that they would be warned and returned to Shanghai on the first attempt, detained for at least 10 days on the second try and face 're-education through labour' on the third, Mr Zheng claimed.