China detains 6 for Tibet protest at Great Wall

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have detained six protesters who unveiled a banner calling for a free Tibet on the Great Wall, a campaign group said on Tuesday.

The banner read "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet" and "Free Tibet" in Chinese, the Free Tibet Campaign said.

China has ruled Tibet with an iron fist since People's Liberation Army troops marched in in 1950 and has vowed to bring economic prosperity to the poor Himalayan region.

"One World, One Dream" is the motto for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which opens in a year's time.

The protesters were on the Wall for about two hours before being detained and taken away, the group said. No other details were immediately available and China's Foreign Ministry said it could not comment.

Beijing officials have said the Olympic torch will enter Tibet after ascending the southern slope of Mount Everest -- known in China by its Tibetan name, Qomalangma -- in Nepal.

In April, China deported five Americans after they unfurled similar banners at the base of Everest.