Protester tries to set himself alight

A NORTH Korean defector tried to set himself on fire to halt the Olympic torch relay through Seoul, while thousands of police guarded the flame yesterday from protesters against China’s treatment of North Korean refugees.

Hundreds of China supporters, waving the Chinese flag, greeted the torch, throwing rocks at anti-Beijing demonstrators. Police ran alongside the flame and rode horses and bicycles on the relay across the city.

The torch relay has become a lightning rod for anti-Chinese demonstrations. At other stops, protesters have focused on Beijing’s crackdown on anti-government riots in Tibet. But in South Korea, China’s treatment of North Korean defectors has taken centre stage.