An old man watches as the breeze lifts his kite high into the Beijing sky; a group of elderly men and women play cards around an upended rubbish bin; nannies wheel their tiny charges down the pathways. Tranquillity reigns in Ritan Park — and police are determined to keep it that way.

The authorities have, so far, turned down 77 applications from 149 people wanting to hold demonstrations in the three Beijing parks designated for protests by the Ministry of Public Security. The figures, released yesterday after days of questioning by foreign journalists, suggest the authorities never intended the parks to be anything more than a show.

The 77 complaints ranged from labour and medical disputes to inadequate welfare, the state news agency Xinhua quoted police as saying.

All but three of the applications were withdrawn because their problems had been “properly addressed by relevant authorities or departments through consultations”, said the Public Security Bureau. Two applications were suspended because they did not provide sufficient information. One was rejected because it violated laws by wanting to involve a child.

In an apparent attempt to demonstrate openness during the Games, China’s communist rulers had announced the setting up of the three protest parks for demonstrators who obtained official approval. There was never much likelihood of that. Would-be protesters must submit requests at least five days in advance, along with details of their complaint and information about participants. At least one applicant has been detained.

Zhang Wei, a Beijing resident, has been trying for two years to gain compensation for the demolition of her home that lay in the way of a development south of Tiananmen Square. She is now serving 30 days in custody for “disturbing public order” after she submitted her application to protest. She should be free after the Games end.

At the entrance to Ritan Park, the women who usually stand at the gates chatting while passers-by go in an out now stand to attention. One, a red sash across her chest, stops a journalist with an Olympic accreditation. “Who are you? Where are you going? Who do you want to talk to?” she demands. It is hardly an invitation to freedom of speech and association.

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