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BEIJING - Three city parks designated by Chinese authorities as demonstration spots for foreign and local protesters remain virtually empty nearly a week into the Summer Games.

With no sign of any activism on the horizon, that has prompted a wave of criticism that China continues to repress dissent despite making promises it wouldn't.

Beijing organizing committee vice-president Wang Wei was on the defensive during a contentious edition of the daily Olympic news conference, as the issues of protests, media freedom, and British TV journalist John Ray, who was detained Wednesday trying to cover a pro-Tibet group's demonstration, all came up.

"The three parks being opened is based on the constitution of China that people are allowed to demonstrate if they have some issues," Wang told the briefing. "I think that's one step further for China to open up and I think it's very good gesture."

The tough questions prompted an uncharacteristically emotional response from Wang.

"I think a few, a very few people come here to pick, to be critical and dig into the small details and find fault with that," said Wang, whose answers are generally measured and short.

Ritan Park is one of the three designated protest zones along with Beijing World Park and the Zizhuyuan Park. Doris Dong, a park employee who greeted a reporter at the gate, said as far as the park authority knew, no official word had come down from China's public security bureau about any protest.

That department has also not answered queries about how many permits have been requested to hold demonstrations despite repeated requests from reporters.

"There hasn't been any protests here," Dong said. "If anyone has applied, it hasn't gone down to our level yet."

Reporters were escorted around the park, which showed no signs of a designated zone for protests.

Thus far, any demonstrations in Beijing have been impromptu and short.

Human rights groups like Students for a Free Tibet have succeeded in protesting, but have been quickly rounded up and kicked out of the country.

At least eight Canadian protesters are among a handful of foreigners who have been quickly deported in the last week. They were told not to bother applying for a permit. Another pro-Tibet group held a protest Wednesday, this time without any Canadians involved.

"It's basically a public relations ploy designed to divert the attention of what is really happening on the ground in Beijing, a security clamp down," Melanie Raoul, a Canadian-based spokeswoman for Students for a Free Tibet, said of the protest zones.

"Our protests demonstrate that no matter how much security the government deploys in Beijing, there are always people who will stand up and speak out for Tibetans inside Tibet."

A handful of stories have circulated through international media of residents being targeted by police for even attempting to protest, including one of a Chinese activist who applied to protest against government and was swiftly taken into custody just for attempting to apply.

Human Rights Watch says Ji Sizun, 58, a legal activist from southeastern Fujian province, was arrested Monday and hasn't been seen since.

The statement was issued the same day the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesman said suggestions that Chinese petitioners were being prevented from holding protests during the Olympics were the result of "misunderstandings"

"In China, nobody will be persecuted or placed under house arrest because of their speech, only those who break laws will be punished in accordance with the law," Qin Gang told a briefing.

"Chinese citizens, in accordance with the law, enjoy the freedom of speech and other kinds of rights and freedoms."

Mi Jinli, husband of a housing activist, said Thursday he was still not allowed to see his wife, Zhang Wei, who was taken from her home last week after trying to apply for permission to protest. Zhang is being officially detained for a month for "disturbing social order," Mi said.

Asked repeatedly if IOC officials are embarrassed that China was not living up to its promises, spokeswoman Giselle Davies would only say they are happy with the way China is running the sporting events.

She added that journalists should not be prevented from doing their jobs, in reference to Ray, the London-based reporter who says he was wrestled to the ground and briefly held by police who apparently mistook him for a protester.

"The IOC does disapprove of any attempts to hinder a journalist who is going about doing his job seemingly within the rules and regulations," Davies told a daily press briefing. "This, we hope, has been addressed.

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