UK Tibet protester returns home

A British woman held in a Chinese jail for three days without charge after a Free Tibet demonstration has said she is "elated" to be back in the UK.

Amanda McKeown, 41, of Bristol, was arrested while filming protesters near the Beijing Olympics site on Thursday.

But British Prime Minister Gordon Brown raised her case when he met Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on Friday.

Mrs McKeown was met at Heathrow Airport by friends, family and members of London's Tibetan community.

'Peaceful protest'

Two Americans and a German were also detained by the Chinese authorities following the protest, during which a Tibetan flag was unfurled.

Mrs McKeown was deported hours after the Olympic Games closing ceremony.

She had been expected to be detained for 10 days following the protest in Beijing.

"They seemed to have decided to really clamp down on protesters"
Amanda McKeown

"We were arrested and taken to a university for questioning," she recalled.

"We were held for nearly 24 hours without any sleep and having interrogation of up to about eight hours.

"Then we were moved to a detention centre and before we were allowed any sleep we had another 12 hours of interrogation."

Ms McKeown said she was not given an explanation for her arrest.

"The guys I was with were given the reason that it was illegal to undertake even a peaceful protest and to talk about the situation in Tibet," she said.

She added that the protests appeared to have shaken the Chinese government.

"They changed their tack over the last two days," she said. "They seemed to have decided to really clamp down on protesters."

No 10 said China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had taken notice of the "personal interest" of Mr Brown.

'Absolute commitment'

Mrs McKeown has a five-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter.

Her husband, Dan Cary, 42, a charity worker for disabled children, said he had felt a "healthy anxiety" during his wife's absence.

He added: "I'm very relieved that Mandie is home.

"She has an absolute commitment to the cause and even though I wouldn't like to say that China has listened, only time will tell if they have."

Asked how he felt about Gordon Brown's role in his wife's release, Mr Cary replied: "I am grateful that he made her case known, but I also think it was his duty."

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