Showing posts with label olympic torch relay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label olympic torch relay. Show all posts
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Tibet to reopen to foreigners Wednesday: state media
Dan Martin , AFP
Published: Tuesday, June 24, 2008
BEIJING - China will allow foreign tourists back into Tibet from Wednesday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, lifting a ban imposed after it cracked down on anti-Chinese unrest three months ago.
The announcement late Tuesday came just three days after China paraded the Beijing Olympic torch through the Tibetan capital Lhasa in a tightly controlled relay which proved the Himalayan region was now "safe" for foreigners, the report said.
"The success of the recent torch relay proved Tibet to be more stabilized and the time was right to reopen," it quoted Tanor, deputy director of the regional tourism authority, as saying.
Tibet is safe. We welcome the domestic and foreign tourists."
Beijing kicked all tourists and foreigners out of Tibet after violent protests against Chinese rule erupted in mid-March, prompting a massive Chinese security clampdown.
The crackdown triggered global condemnation and protests around the world over China's heavy-handed control of the remote Himalayan region.
China allowed mainland Chinese tour groups back in at the end of April, followed by visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in May.
But it had so far maintained the ban on foreign visitors and overseas journalists, saying Tibet remained "unsafe" for foreigners due to the violent actions of "separatist" forces loyal to the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, whom Beijing blames for the unrest.
Overseas pro-Tibet groups, however, have said China was using the safety issue as an excuse to hide a massive campaign of arrests and political "re-education" aimed at extinguishing any support for the Dalai Lama.
Tanor was quoted as saying two Swedish tourists would arrive in Lhasa on Wednesday, followed by four from Singapore on Sunday.
The report gave no information on any restrictions visitors may face or whether foreign journalists also would be allowed into the Himalayan region.
China's foreign ministry could not immediately provide further information when contacted by AFP.
China's crackdown sparked international protests that dogged the torch's month-long global journey in April before it arrived in China for a nationwide relay.
Exiled Tibetan leaders say 203 people died in the Chinese clampdown on the riots, which began in Lhasa after monks led peaceful protests to mark a 1959 uprising and later spread across the Tibetan plateau.
China has reported killing one Tibetan "insurgent" and says "rioters" were responsible for 21 deaths.
Authorities have released 1,157 people who were involved in the Lhasa riots, Xinhua reported on the eve of Saturday's Olympic torch relay, a move seen as an attempt to defuse tension ahead of the event.
A total of 42 people have been punished by the courts, with another 116 awaiting trial, it said, quoting a senior Tibetan official.
With the Beijing Olympics set to start in less than two months, China faced the prospect of the Games being tarnished by continued overseas criticism of its Tibet policies if it were to have kept the region sealed off.
State media reports also have lamented the impact of the crackdown on the region's tourism industry.
Officials had previously predicted visitors to the remote region would hit five million in 2008, with tourist revenue soaring 24 percent.
But just 120,000 people have visited Tibet since the end of April, according to official figures.
Published: Tuesday, June 24, 2008
BEIJING - China will allow foreign tourists back into Tibet from Wednesday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, lifting a ban imposed after it cracked down on anti-Chinese unrest three months ago.
The announcement late Tuesday came just three days after China paraded the Beijing Olympic torch through the Tibetan capital Lhasa in a tightly controlled relay which proved the Himalayan region was now "safe" for foreigners, the report said.
"The success of the recent torch relay proved Tibet to be more stabilized and the time was right to reopen," it quoted Tanor, deputy director of the regional tourism authority, as saying.
Tibet is safe. We welcome the domestic and foreign tourists."
Beijing kicked all tourists and foreigners out of Tibet after violent protests against Chinese rule erupted in mid-March, prompting a massive Chinese security clampdown.
The crackdown triggered global condemnation and protests around the world over China's heavy-handed control of the remote Himalayan region.
China allowed mainland Chinese tour groups back in at the end of April, followed by visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in May.
But it had so far maintained the ban on foreign visitors and overseas journalists, saying Tibet remained "unsafe" for foreigners due to the violent actions of "separatist" forces loyal to the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, whom Beijing blames for the unrest.
Overseas pro-Tibet groups, however, have said China was using the safety issue as an excuse to hide a massive campaign of arrests and political "re-education" aimed at extinguishing any support for the Dalai Lama.
Tanor was quoted as saying two Swedish tourists would arrive in Lhasa on Wednesday, followed by four from Singapore on Sunday.
The report gave no information on any restrictions visitors may face or whether foreign journalists also would be allowed into the Himalayan region.
China's foreign ministry could not immediately provide further information when contacted by AFP.
China's crackdown sparked international protests that dogged the torch's month-long global journey in April before it arrived in China for a nationwide relay.
Exiled Tibetan leaders say 203 people died in the Chinese clampdown on the riots, which began in Lhasa after monks led peaceful protests to mark a 1959 uprising and later spread across the Tibetan plateau.
China has reported killing one Tibetan "insurgent" and says "rioters" were responsible for 21 deaths.
Authorities have released 1,157 people who were involved in the Lhasa riots, Xinhua reported on the eve of Saturday's Olympic torch relay, a move seen as an attempt to defuse tension ahead of the event.
A total of 42 people have been punished by the courts, with another 116 awaiting trial, it said, quoting a senior Tibetan official.
With the Beijing Olympics set to start in less than two months, China faced the prospect of the Games being tarnished by continued overseas criticism of its Tibet policies if it were to have kept the region sealed off.
State media reports also have lamented the impact of the crackdown on the region's tourism industry.
Officials had previously predicted visitors to the remote region would hit five million in 2008, with tourist revenue soaring 24 percent.
But just 120,000 people have visited Tibet since the end of April, according to official figures.
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Olympic Torch in Lhasa ,TIBET
(LHASA, June 21) -- The Olympic torch has set out from Norbulingka and starts its journey to Tibet's capital Lhasa, which literally means "place of the gods", on Saturday.
A total of 156 torchbearers including 75 Tibetans will run the Lhasa leg, which covers 9.3 kilometers.
The run is scheduled to end at the hilltop at Potala Palace.
The majestic Potala Palace with its glistening roofs is the pinnacle of the labor and wisdom of the Tibetan race. It is a wonder in the history of Oriental architecture, and the pride of the lands of snow. It is symbol of the ancient city of Lhasa, and also a spot unique to Tibet.
The Potala Palace was built by Tubo King Songtsan Gambo in the 7th century. It underwent renovation during the time of the 5th Dalai Lama Ngawang Lhosang Gyamco in the 17th century. However, the Potala Palace didn't undergo a thorough repair until the 1980s. Standing atop the Red Hill, the Potala Palace was built along the slope of the hill. It extends 360 meters from east to west and 140 meters from south to north. Rising 13 stories, the palace is 115.7 meters tall. Palace walls were erected with granite slabs, the thickest part measuring five meters.
The Potala Palace is made up by the White and Red Palaces, with the Red Palace in the center flanked on both sides by the White Palace. The Red Palace houses Buddha halls and stupas for the remains of the successive generations of the Dalai Lama. The White Palace, built entirely of granite slabs, is where the Dalai Lamas of various generations live and handle government and Buddhist affairs. Its western wing contains dorms for monks. When visitors reach the Potala Palace from the south, they will arrive at the giant City Gate and Shoi Village, which holds many ancient buildings down a zigzagging stone path leading to the Puncog Duinam Gate. Upon going through the gate, they will reach the Deyang Hall Square, where various generations of the Dalai Lama, senior monks and lay officials watched Tibetan opera, singers and dance performances. East of the square is Zelhazha, the site of the old monk official school, and west of the square is the gate to the White House. Many priceless frescoes hang on the walls of the entrance hall, some depicting the construction of the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Monastery in the 7th century, and others illustrating the story of Tubo Minister Gar Tongtsan going to Chang'an (present-day Xi'an and capital of the Tang Dynasty) to greet Tang Princess Wencheng upon her arrival in Lhasa, where she married Tubo King Songtsan Gambo.
Coqenxag, the Eastern Hall, is where many generations of Dalai Lamas came to power and were enthroned upon reaching the stipulated age of 18. A horizontal board reading "Promoting Buddhism in Defense of the Border," written by Qing Dynasty Emperor Tongzhi, hangs above the entrance. The top floor contains two living chambers. As they enjoy sunshine all day long, the chambers are called the West Sunshine Hall (also called Nyiwei Soinam Legyi, which used to be the living chambers for the 13th Dalai Lama) and the East Sunshine Hall (also called Gaindain Namse, which used to be the living chambers for the 14th Dalai Lama). Major buildings of the Red Palace include the Hall for the Holy Stupas. The largest of the holy stupas is for the 5th Dalai Lama. Called Choiling Gyamgyia, "a grand building in the world," the stupa is 14.85 meters tall. Its base and body are wrapped in 110,000 taels of gold and inlaid with 1,500 gems. The Red Palace also holds a Western Hall. Also called Sishi Puncog, the Western Hall houses the stupa for the 5th Dalai Lama and its interior is a world of frescos telling stories of his life. One section depicts the 5th Dalai Lama paying homage to Qing Dynasty Emperor Shunzhi in Beijing in 1652. Galleries on each floor of the Red Palace contain many frescoes. The gallery on the second floor contains even more frescoes, including one which tells of the first construction of the Potala Palace through the commissioning of the Red Palace and the holding of the Lessor Grand Summons Ceremony. The highest point of the Red Palace is the Hall of Deterrence to the Three Worlds, or the Sasum Namgyal Hall. This hall enshrines the portrait of Emperor Qianlong and an imperial longevity tablet written in the four languages of Han, Tibetan, Mongolian and Manchurian.
Between the Red and White Palaces is Qoigyi Zhapu, or the Cave for the Prince of Dharma. Legend has it that this was the place Tubo King Songtsan Gambo and his wives Tang Dynasty Princess Wencheng and Nepalese Princess Bhributi practiced Buddhism. The statues of Songtsan Gambo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Bhributi, Mangsa Trijang, and Tubo Ministers Tome Sangbozha and Gar Tongtsan are enshrined inside the cave. Pagpa Lhakhang, the Hall of the Goddess of Mercy, which was built much earlier than other halls in the palace, is located at the top of Qoigyi Zhapu. Above the entrance is a panel with an inscription reading "Blissful Soil Nourishing Miraculous Fruits," also written by Qing Emperor Tongzhi.
On the top of the Potala Palace are seven of what we call Golden Tops, glistening in the sunshine. They follow Tibetan and Han architectural styles, and make the Potala Palace majestic and holy. Inside the palace are preserved numerous Buddhist scriptures, tangka painting scrolls, statues of Buddha, sculptures, brocades and silks produced during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), chinaware, gold and silver wares, golden sheets of appointment and golden seals of authority, which emperors of feudal Chinese rulers granted to Dalai Lamas of various generations, as well as a golden urn called Jinbenbaping, which Qing Emperor Qianlong had cast in his 57th year of reign (1792) for the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni. When one of the two Living Buddhas has demised, his soul boy would be determined by drawing a lot from the golden urn.
A total of 156 torchbearers including 75 Tibetans will run the Lhasa leg, which covers 9.3 kilometers.
The run is scheduled to end at the hilltop at Potala Palace.
The majestic Potala Palace with its glistening roofs is the pinnacle of the labor and wisdom of the Tibetan race. It is a wonder in the history of Oriental architecture, and the pride of the lands of snow. It is symbol of the ancient city of Lhasa, and also a spot unique to Tibet.
The Potala Palace was built by Tubo King Songtsan Gambo in the 7th century. It underwent renovation during the time of the 5th Dalai Lama Ngawang Lhosang Gyamco in the 17th century. However, the Potala Palace didn't undergo a thorough repair until the 1980s. Standing atop the Red Hill, the Potala Palace was built along the slope of the hill. It extends 360 meters from east to west and 140 meters from south to north. Rising 13 stories, the palace is 115.7 meters tall. Palace walls were erected with granite slabs, the thickest part measuring five meters.
The Potala Palace is made up by the White and Red Palaces, with the Red Palace in the center flanked on both sides by the White Palace. The Red Palace houses Buddha halls and stupas for the remains of the successive generations of the Dalai Lama. The White Palace, built entirely of granite slabs, is where the Dalai Lamas of various generations live and handle government and Buddhist affairs. Its western wing contains dorms for monks. When visitors reach the Potala Palace from the south, they will arrive at the giant City Gate and Shoi Village, which holds many ancient buildings down a zigzagging stone path leading to the Puncog Duinam Gate. Upon going through the gate, they will reach the Deyang Hall Square, where various generations of the Dalai Lama, senior monks and lay officials watched Tibetan opera, singers and dance performances. East of the square is Zelhazha, the site of the old monk official school, and west of the square is the gate to the White House. Many priceless frescoes hang on the walls of the entrance hall, some depicting the construction of the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Monastery in the 7th century, and others illustrating the story of Tubo Minister Gar Tongtsan going to Chang'an (present-day Xi'an and capital of the Tang Dynasty) to greet Tang Princess Wencheng upon her arrival in Lhasa, where she married Tubo King Songtsan Gambo.
Coqenxag, the Eastern Hall, is where many generations of Dalai Lamas came to power and were enthroned upon reaching the stipulated age of 18. A horizontal board reading "Promoting Buddhism in Defense of the Border," written by Qing Dynasty Emperor Tongzhi, hangs above the entrance. The top floor contains two living chambers. As they enjoy sunshine all day long, the chambers are called the West Sunshine Hall (also called Nyiwei Soinam Legyi, which used to be the living chambers for the 13th Dalai Lama) and the East Sunshine Hall (also called Gaindain Namse, which used to be the living chambers for the 14th Dalai Lama). Major buildings of the Red Palace include the Hall for the Holy Stupas. The largest of the holy stupas is for the 5th Dalai Lama. Called Choiling Gyamgyia, "a grand building in the world," the stupa is 14.85 meters tall. Its base and body are wrapped in 110,000 taels of gold and inlaid with 1,500 gems. The Red Palace also holds a Western Hall. Also called Sishi Puncog, the Western Hall houses the stupa for the 5th Dalai Lama and its interior is a world of frescos telling stories of his life. One section depicts the 5th Dalai Lama paying homage to Qing Dynasty Emperor Shunzhi in Beijing in 1652. Galleries on each floor of the Red Palace contain many frescoes. The gallery on the second floor contains even more frescoes, including one which tells of the first construction of the Potala Palace through the commissioning of the Red Palace and the holding of the Lessor Grand Summons Ceremony. The highest point of the Red Palace is the Hall of Deterrence to the Three Worlds, or the Sasum Namgyal Hall. This hall enshrines the portrait of Emperor Qianlong and an imperial longevity tablet written in the four languages of Han, Tibetan, Mongolian and Manchurian.
Between the Red and White Palaces is Qoigyi Zhapu, or the Cave for the Prince of Dharma. Legend has it that this was the place Tubo King Songtsan Gambo and his wives Tang Dynasty Princess Wencheng and Nepalese Princess Bhributi practiced Buddhism. The statues of Songtsan Gambo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Bhributi, Mangsa Trijang, and Tubo Ministers Tome Sangbozha and Gar Tongtsan are enshrined inside the cave. Pagpa Lhakhang, the Hall of the Goddess of Mercy, which was built much earlier than other halls in the palace, is located at the top of Qoigyi Zhapu. Above the entrance is a panel with an inscription reading "Blissful Soil Nourishing Miraculous Fruits," also written by Qing Emperor Tongzhi.
On the top of the Potala Palace are seven of what we call Golden Tops, glistening in the sunshine. They follow Tibetan and Han architectural styles, and make the Potala Palace majestic and holy. Inside the palace are preserved numerous Buddhist scriptures, tangka painting scrolls, statues of Buddha, sculptures, brocades and silks produced during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), chinaware, gold and silver wares, golden sheets of appointment and golden seals of authority, which emperors of feudal Chinese rulers granted to Dalai Lamas of various generations, as well as a golden urn called Jinbenbaping, which Qing Emperor Qianlong had cast in his 57th year of reign (1792) for the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni. When one of the two Living Buddhas has demised, his soul boy would be determined by drawing a lot from the golden urn.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Security tight as torch tours west China
Security tight as torch tours west China
By SCOTT McDONALD –
Boxer Abudu Xukur sets off during Olympic Torch Relay, Tuesday, June 17, 2008, in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China's most western province. The torch started its relay route Tuesday through the restive region of Xinjiang amid cheering crowds and heavy security. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
KASHGAR, China (AP) — Shops and roads were closed and people were kept off the streets Wednesday as part of a huge security effort to safeguard the Olympic torch as it wound its way through this predominantly Muslim city in China's restive far west.
Black-gloved security agents jogged alongside the flame during the relay through the streets of Kashgar, an ancient Silk Road city in the Xinjiang region near the borders of Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Foreign journalists were not allowed along the route, where cheering bystanders shouted "Go China!" under sunny skies.
The heavy security in Xinjiang, where Beijing says violent separatists have been fighting for independence, foreshadowed the treatment the torch was likely to be given when it makes a one-day stop Saturday in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet that erupted in anti-Beijing protests and riots in March.
The flame was originally supposed to go through Tibet on Wednesday or Thursday, and it is unclear why organizers changed the date. Relay organizers announced the new date on Wednesday.
That leg has been shrouded in secrecy because of political sensitivities surrounding Tibet. The route has been criticized by Tibet activist groups who see it as an attempt by Beijing to symbolize its control over the Himalayan region.
China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially independent for much of that time.
Tensions were aggravated by the March riots and protests against Chinese rule in Lhasa and other ethnic Tibetan areas throughout China led to a security clampdown in the region.
Like Tibet, Xinjiang is a region with a culture and language distinct from that of China's dominant Han ethnic group. For decades, radicals among its main Turkic-speaking Uighur ethnic group have been waging a low-intensity struggle against Chinese rule.
On at least three occasions this year, authorities say they foiled plots by Xinjiang separatists that targeted the Olympics either directly or indirectly, including alleged attempts by ethnic Uighur activists to crash an airliner and kidnap athletes and journalists.
In Kashgar on Wednesday, hundreds of militia and police lined the torch route, which began near a downtown mosque with several speeches praising China's development over the last 30 years.
Xinjiang officials accompanied foreign journalists on a bus to the relay and did not allow them to wander from the group. After the start, the journalists were taken to the finish point — a square dominated by a giant statue of Mao Zedong, a reminder of heavy-handed Communist Party rule over the region since People's Liberation Army forces entered in 1949.
The high level of security shows how worried Beijing is about its grip on Xinjiang, said Nicholas Bequelin, an expert on Xinjiang with the Hong Kong-based Human Rights Watch.
"The incredible extent of the effort going into security, it tells us that Beijing is not that confident of its legitimacy in the eyes of the local people."
Hundreds of schoolchildren were also on hand, waving Chinese and Olympic flags. A moment of silence was held first to honor the nearly 70,000 victims of last month's earthquake centered in Sichuan province.
The relay with 208 runners ended without incident two hours later.
The torch has had a smooth run in China, undisturbed by the protests over Tibet and human rights that hounded parts of its international tour. Yet the Xinjiang leg and the one in Tibet are by far the most sensitive of the domestic relay — a fact underscored by the heavy security.
Organizers said last month that the Tibet stop, originally three days, would be cut to one day to make way for a switch in the torch's Sichuan leg to just before the start of the Aug. 8 Olympics.
The final torch bearer in Kashgar was Dawut Haxim, who was named a hero for his relief efforts after a magnitude-6.8 quake in Xinjiang killed more than 260 people in 2003. He said by carrying the torch he was representing all Uighurs. "I hope that the rebuilding in Sichuan is a success," he told the carefully selected crowd, which appeared to be just invited dignitaries and schoolchildren. An ethnic song and dance show was also put on.
Roads were blocked, including side streets where local residents could be seen waiting behind police lines an hour after the relay ended. A short while later a convoy of 16 army trucks with soldiers in the back was seen driving through the city.
"It was no good," said one middle-aged Uighur man when asked if he was interested in the torch relay. Sitting on a step on a side street near the square in the middle of Kashgar, he waved off a reporter when asked to give his name.
Overseas activists have criticized China for using the relay to demonstrate its control over the restive areas. Many native residents reject claims that they have long been an integral part of Chinese territory and resent Han dominance over the economy and government.
By SCOTT McDONALD –
Boxer Abudu Xukur sets off during Olympic Torch Relay, Tuesday, June 17, 2008, in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China's most western province. The torch started its relay route Tuesday through the restive region of Xinjiang amid cheering crowds and heavy security. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
KASHGAR, China (AP) — Shops and roads were closed and people were kept off the streets Wednesday as part of a huge security effort to safeguard the Olympic torch as it wound its way through this predominantly Muslim city in China's restive far west.
Black-gloved security agents jogged alongside the flame during the relay through the streets of Kashgar, an ancient Silk Road city in the Xinjiang region near the borders of Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Foreign journalists were not allowed along the route, where cheering bystanders shouted "Go China!" under sunny skies.
The heavy security in Xinjiang, where Beijing says violent separatists have been fighting for independence, foreshadowed the treatment the torch was likely to be given when it makes a one-day stop Saturday in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet that erupted in anti-Beijing protests and riots in March.
The flame was originally supposed to go through Tibet on Wednesday or Thursday, and it is unclear why organizers changed the date. Relay organizers announced the new date on Wednesday.
That leg has been shrouded in secrecy because of political sensitivities surrounding Tibet. The route has been criticized by Tibet activist groups who see it as an attempt by Beijing to symbolize its control over the Himalayan region.
China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially independent for much of that time.
Tensions were aggravated by the March riots and protests against Chinese rule in Lhasa and other ethnic Tibetan areas throughout China led to a security clampdown in the region.
Like Tibet, Xinjiang is a region with a culture and language distinct from that of China's dominant Han ethnic group. For decades, radicals among its main Turkic-speaking Uighur ethnic group have been waging a low-intensity struggle against Chinese rule.
On at least three occasions this year, authorities say they foiled plots by Xinjiang separatists that targeted the Olympics either directly or indirectly, including alleged attempts by ethnic Uighur activists to crash an airliner and kidnap athletes and journalists.
In Kashgar on Wednesday, hundreds of militia and police lined the torch route, which began near a downtown mosque with several speeches praising China's development over the last 30 years.
Xinjiang officials accompanied foreign journalists on a bus to the relay and did not allow them to wander from the group. After the start, the journalists were taken to the finish point — a square dominated by a giant statue of Mao Zedong, a reminder of heavy-handed Communist Party rule over the region since People's Liberation Army forces entered in 1949.
The high level of security shows how worried Beijing is about its grip on Xinjiang, said Nicholas Bequelin, an expert on Xinjiang with the Hong Kong-based Human Rights Watch.
"The incredible extent of the effort going into security, it tells us that Beijing is not that confident of its legitimacy in the eyes of the local people."
Hundreds of schoolchildren were also on hand, waving Chinese and Olympic flags. A moment of silence was held first to honor the nearly 70,000 victims of last month's earthquake centered in Sichuan province.
The relay with 208 runners ended without incident two hours later.
The torch has had a smooth run in China, undisturbed by the protests over Tibet and human rights that hounded parts of its international tour. Yet the Xinjiang leg and the one in Tibet are by far the most sensitive of the domestic relay — a fact underscored by the heavy security.
Organizers said last month that the Tibet stop, originally three days, would be cut to one day to make way for a switch in the torch's Sichuan leg to just before the start of the Aug. 8 Olympics.
The final torch bearer in Kashgar was Dawut Haxim, who was named a hero for his relief efforts after a magnitude-6.8 quake in Xinjiang killed more than 260 people in 2003. He said by carrying the torch he was representing all Uighurs. "I hope that the rebuilding in Sichuan is a success," he told the carefully selected crowd, which appeared to be just invited dignitaries and schoolchildren. An ethnic song and dance show was also put on.
Roads were blocked, including side streets where local residents could be seen waiting behind police lines an hour after the relay ended. A short while later a convoy of 16 army trucks with soldiers in the back was seen driving through the city.
"It was no good," said one middle-aged Uighur man when asked if he was interested in the torch relay. Sitting on a step on a side street near the square in the middle of Kashgar, he waved off a reporter when asked to give his name.
Overseas activists have criticized China for using the relay to demonstrate its control over the restive areas. Many native residents reject claims that they have long been an integral part of Chinese territory and resent Han dominance over the economy and government.
Olympic torch relay cut to one day in Tibet
Olympic torch relay cut to one day in Tibet
BEIJING (AFP) — China has scrapped its original plans for a three-day Olympic torch relay tour of Tibet and will send the flame there just for one day this weekend, a Beijing Olympic official said Wednesday.
Zhu Jing, a spokeswoman at the Beijing Games organising committee, said the decision to cut short the relay and run it through the Tibetan capital Lhasa on Saturday was taken following last month's earthquake in Sichuan province.
"Following the earthquake on May 12, BOCOG has announced adjustments to the domestic legs of the torch relay," Zhu said.
"The Tibet leg of the relay will be on June 21, with the relay taking place in Lhasa."
The torch was originally scheduled to tour Tibet for three days from June 19 to 21 as part of its long international journey to the Games being hosted by the Chinese capital in August.
The torch is currently travelling through Xinjiang, a largely Muslim region in China's northwest, on a three-day, four-city tour scheduled to end Thursday.
The stops in Xinjiang and the Tibetan regions of China are regarded as the most sensitive of the domestic relay route, which runs for thousands of miles (kilometres) over three months through every part of the country.
China accuses Muslim separatists in Xinjiang of plotting terrorist attacks on the Games and stepped up security in the region ahead of the relay.
Tibetans are also accused of targeting the Olympics, following a crackdown on anti-Chinese government unrest in Lhasa in March in which exiled Tibetan leaders say 203 people died.
China has reported killing one Tibetan "insurgent" and says "rioters" were responsible for 21 deaths.
Despite the unrest China stuck with its original plan to take the torch relay to the top of Mount Everest on May 8 using a separate flame from the one used on the relay route through the rest of the country.
The ascent took place under tight security and triggered protests from exiled Tibetan groups who said it was a provocation and politicised the torch relay.
China's rule over Tibet was a major rallying cry for protesters who dogged the torch's month-long global journey in April before it came here.
Pro-Tibet activists have argued that the leg in Lhasa should be cancelled due to the unrest.
New York-based Human Rights Watch said Chinese authorities were using the relay as a propaganda tool and had been carrying out arbitrary arrests to prevent protests during the relay.
"It is irresponsible for the Chinese government to deliberately send a torch into a powder keg, and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and Olympic sponsors should ask Beijing to cancel this part of the relay," the group said in a statement.
BOCOG said that 50 journalists from 31 news organisations would be allowed to cover the relay in Lhasa, which has been off limits to foreign reporters and tourists since the crackdown on unrest there three months ago.
"We will make proper arrangements for media coverage of the relay in Lhasa," said Zhu.
She declined to say whether scrapping the original three-day torch leg was connected to security fears in the Himalayan region following the unrest.
"The adjustment to the Tibet leg of the torch relay is because of the earthquake, which has caused us to make several changes to the original route," said Zhu.
According to the original torch relay schedule, the Tibetan leg was to be followed by a trip to neighbouring Qinghai and then Gansu province, which both have ethnic Tibetan communities.
Zhu said the future route had yet to be officially announced. Torch relay organisers in the Qinghai capital of Xining told AFP that they had no information and calls to the torch relay office in Gansu's capital Lanzhou went unanswered.
BEIJING (AFP) — China has scrapped its original plans for a three-day Olympic torch relay tour of Tibet and will send the flame there just for one day this weekend, a Beijing Olympic official said Wednesday.
Zhu Jing, a spokeswoman at the Beijing Games organising committee, said the decision to cut short the relay and run it through the Tibetan capital Lhasa on Saturday was taken following last month's earthquake in Sichuan province.
"Following the earthquake on May 12, BOCOG has announced adjustments to the domestic legs of the torch relay," Zhu said.
"The Tibet leg of the relay will be on June 21, with the relay taking place in Lhasa."
The torch was originally scheduled to tour Tibet for three days from June 19 to 21 as part of its long international journey to the Games being hosted by the Chinese capital in August.
The torch is currently travelling through Xinjiang, a largely Muslim region in China's northwest, on a three-day, four-city tour scheduled to end Thursday.
The stops in Xinjiang and the Tibetan regions of China are regarded as the most sensitive of the domestic relay route, which runs for thousands of miles (kilometres) over three months through every part of the country.
China accuses Muslim separatists in Xinjiang of plotting terrorist attacks on the Games and stepped up security in the region ahead of the relay.
Tibetans are also accused of targeting the Olympics, following a crackdown on anti-Chinese government unrest in Lhasa in March in which exiled Tibetan leaders say 203 people died.
China has reported killing one Tibetan "insurgent" and says "rioters" were responsible for 21 deaths.
Despite the unrest China stuck with its original plan to take the torch relay to the top of Mount Everest on May 8 using a separate flame from the one used on the relay route through the rest of the country.
The ascent took place under tight security and triggered protests from exiled Tibetan groups who said it was a provocation and politicised the torch relay.
China's rule over Tibet was a major rallying cry for protesters who dogged the torch's month-long global journey in April before it came here.
Pro-Tibet activists have argued that the leg in Lhasa should be cancelled due to the unrest.
New York-based Human Rights Watch said Chinese authorities were using the relay as a propaganda tool and had been carrying out arbitrary arrests to prevent protests during the relay.
"It is irresponsible for the Chinese government to deliberately send a torch into a powder keg, and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and Olympic sponsors should ask Beijing to cancel this part of the relay," the group said in a statement.
BOCOG said that 50 journalists from 31 news organisations would be allowed to cover the relay in Lhasa, which has been off limits to foreign reporters and tourists since the crackdown on unrest there three months ago.
"We will make proper arrangements for media coverage of the relay in Lhasa," said Zhu.
She declined to say whether scrapping the original three-day torch leg was connected to security fears in the Himalayan region following the unrest.
"The adjustment to the Tibet leg of the torch relay is because of the earthquake, which has caused us to make several changes to the original route," said Zhu.
According to the original torch relay schedule, the Tibetan leg was to be followed by a trip to neighbouring Qinghai and then Gansu province, which both have ethnic Tibetan communities.
Zhu said the future route had yet to be officially announced. Torch relay organisers in the Qinghai capital of Xining told AFP that they had no information and calls to the torch relay office in Gansu's capital Lanzhou went unanswered.
Tight security as Olympic flame starts Xinjiang leg
Tight security as Olympic flame starts Xinjiang leg
URUMQI, China (AFP) — Police imposed a security lockdown as the Olympic torch Tuesday started its run through China's mainly Muslim region of Xinjiang, seen as one of the most sensitive legs on its nationwide journey.
The centre of the regional capital Urumqi was largely shut down and police checkpoints restricted movement throughout the normally bustling city.
Police imposed particularly heavy security at the central People's Square, where Tuesday's relay kicked off, and anyone entering had to go through metal detectors and bag searches.
The flame's passage through Xinjiang and the Tibetan regions of China are considered the most sensitive of the three-month journey to the Beijing Games in August because of simmering discontent among local ethnic groups.
The three-day, four-city Xinjiang leg began with a 12-kilometre (7.5-mile) relay through Urumqi from People's Square, regarded as a symbol of Communist power in the city.
The crowd, numbering about 3,000, chanted "Go, China!" and "Go, Olympics!" as the relay got underway under sunny skies. Many had stickers of the Chinese flag on their cheeks.
They were overwhelmingly Han Chinese, with only a tiny number of Uighurs, the largest ethnic group in the region.
Leading away from the square, the crowds lining the route were also mostly Chinese, many of them young people given a break from their studies, as well as government employees.
"What I am passing on is the friendship and solidarity of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang," one torchbearer was widely quoted as saying on state-run television.
After the torch had passed, the security apparatus was quickly dismantled. The relay ended at about noon, after the flame had been carried by 208 torch bearers.
Xinjiang is a region of vast deserts and stunning mountains that is home to more than eight millions Uighurs, a Muslim, Central Asian people who speak a Turkic language.
Many Uighurs discreetly allege Chinese political and religious oppression and systematic discrimination against them in employment, education, and business.
The Urumqi relay appeared to get under way without trouble, but AFP could not immediately determine its further progress as Chinese authorities required journalists to choose just one vantage point.
The torch was not due to pass through the Uighur quarter in the south of the city, a local official told AFP. The public also was urged to watch the relay on television to keep the proceedings more controllable.
A large red banner at the square called for unity among Xinjiang's ethnic minorities, while a giant TV screen showed video footage proclaiming that its 47 minorities "get along so well."
Despite Tuesday's fanfare, some Uighurs were bemused by the relay's arrival.
"What does it have to do with us? That is China's Olympics. We don't care," a shop owner named Azatjan said dismissively before the start, as his daughter urged him to be quiet.
Uighur exiles and residents told AFP that Chinese authorities had detained thousands of Uighurs, and confiscated the passports of many others, in recent months.
Some Muslims told AFP the passport measure was to prevent anyone linking up abroad with "terrorist" plots aimed at the Olympics.
The sensitivity of the Xinjiang leg was heightened earlier this year when Beijing said it had smashed Xinjiang-based terror plots targeting the Games.
Uighurs widely dismiss such Chinese claims as an attempt to justify strict control of Xinjiang.
"Uighurs are living in a culture of fear, facing persecution, marginalisation and assimilation that erode the very core of their cultural identity, religious belief and economic rights," said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Germany-based World Uighur Congress, an exile group.
The torch moves Wednesday to the Silk Road oasis city of Kashgar, then to the cities of Shihezi and Changji on Thursday.
The timing of the Xinjiang leg had been unexpectedly brought forward from its original slot next week.
The leg through Tibet, shrouded in mystery after anti-Chinese riots erupted across the Tibetan plateau in March, will take place on Saturday, state media said Monday.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Olympic torch burns brightly in Jingzhou
The torch carriers also include world weightlifting champion Guan Hong and Chinese actress Zeng Li.
At the launching ceremony, the torchbearers and spectators observed a minute of silence to the victims of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake which struck southwestern China's Sichuan Province on May 12.
Jingzhou is one of the first 24 historic cities of cultural significance selected by the State Council and also the cradle of Chu culture of ancient China.
As a transportation hub and distribution center of commodities since ancient times, the city has become a strategic place of military importance in Chinese history.
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKUTN9S6XNxBsDdWW32gYmq54YpeVa46VExyXmO7r8BJ3Cq1yRhODrtj8sIo290RRPWlNmPB1_1u_RY2ZsLBJjiBT2JKD-5nWaRVs0cDak-KgOg8gTLhs5QwLMXA16kq550BwoUBdGA/s1600-h/xinsrc_492060502160606214867.jpg">
JINGZHOU, Central China, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Olympic torch relay started its Jingzhou leg on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River on Monday, the last segment in central China's Hubei province.
The 18.6-kilometer relay of 208 torchbearers kicked off at 8:13 a.m. at the Golden Phoenix Square and will pass through the Ancient Jingzhou Town and end at Shalongda Square.
Zheng Lihui, who claimed a men's gymnastics team gold at Sydney Olympics, opened the relay as the first torchbearer. As the No. 3 torchbearer, the Greek ambassador to China Michael Cambanis delivered the flame on the Nine Dragon Bridge of the city.
Chinese Olympics relay member donates torch to quake relief
Chinese Olympics relay member donates torch to quake relief
Special report: Reconstruction After Earthquake
BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Luo Xuejuan, the first Chinese bearer of the 2008 global Olympic torch relay, is donating her torch to the China Siyuan & The Loving Torch Foundation, which is dedicated to rebuilding areas ravaged by the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake.
"This torch doesn't belong to me alone. It belongs to the nation," said the Athens Olympic 100-meter breaststroke gold medalist.
"I hope the flame of our loving hearts will kindle people's hope for beautiful lives."
Luo also took part in the disaster relief fund-raising event organized by CCTV (China Central Television) and donations organized by the sports circles.
One of the founders of the Siyuan & The Loving Torch Foundation, Luo has been involved with disaster relief work, aiming to provide aid to people affected by the earthquake, especially women.
news courtesy:xinhua http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/02/content_8301717.htm
Special report: Reconstruction After Earthquake
BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Luo Xuejuan, the first Chinese bearer of the 2008 global Olympic torch relay, is donating her torch to the China Siyuan & The Loving Torch Foundation, which is dedicated to rebuilding areas ravaged by the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake.
"This torch doesn't belong to me alone. It belongs to the nation," said the Athens Olympic 100-meter breaststroke gold medalist.
"I hope the flame of our loving hearts will kindle people's hope for beautiful lives."
Luo also took part in the disaster relief fund-raising event organized by CCTV (China Central Television) and donations organized by the sports circles.
One of the founders of the Siyuan & The Loving Torch Foundation, Luo has been involved with disaster relief work, aiming to provide aid to people affected by the earthquake, especially women.
news courtesy:xinhua http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/02/content_8301717.htm
Monday, May 26, 2008
China shortens Tibet leg of Olympic torch relay
China shortens Tibet leg of Olympic torch relay
By HENRY SANDERSON –
BEIJING (AP) — The controversial Tibetan leg of the Olympic torch relay has been cut to just one day because of the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province, a Beijing Olympics official said Sunday.
The torch's stop in Tibet — originally set for three days — has been criticized by Tibet activist groups who see it as an attempt by Beijing to symbolize its control over Tibet. China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially independent for much of that time.
The cut to one day came after the relay was stopped for three days last week as part of a national period of mourning declared by the government to honor the victims of the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan province that left nearly 63,000 people dead and almost 24,000 others missing.
The announcement also came two months after a violent uprising in ethnic Tibetan areas throughout China led to a security clampdown in the region. China has said life is returning to normal, and monasteries are reopening in Tibet's capital, Lhasa. But foreigners are still banned and until recently Chinese were advised to stay away.
"All I can be sure of is that the Lhasa relay has been shortened to one day," said Li Lizhi of the Beijing Olympic torch relay center.
"It's probably either on June 18 or June 19, as is tentatively set now. But it is still open to future adjustment," she said.
Olympic organizers announced days ago that the Sichuan leg of the relay had been shifted from mid-June to early August because of the quake. The leg now will run from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5 instead of June 15 to June 18.
It was not clear if the torch relay would still go through Mianyang, one of the hardest-hit areas, as planned. The Beijing games start Aug. 8.
"It is too early to tell," said Zhang Liang, who is also with the torch relay center. "Every city has been preparing for it very hard and we will make the final decision based on how well each place recovers."
So far the torch has had a smooth relay in mainland China, uninterrupted by the protests over Tibet and human rights that dogged parts of its international tour.
Earlier this month, Chinese mountaineers raised the Olympic torch at the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, producing the triumphant image that China has longed for in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
The Everest torch was separate from the main Olympic flame, which is on a three-month tour of China after a one-month trip around the world.
Activists upset with Chinese government policies, especially pro-Tibet independence groups, used that trip around the world to stage protests to highlight their causes.
source courtesy :ap press
writer:HENRY SANDERSON
By HENRY SANDERSON –
BEIJING (AP) — The controversial Tibetan leg of the Olympic torch relay has been cut to just one day because of the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province, a Beijing Olympics official said Sunday.
The torch's stop in Tibet — originally set for three days — has been criticized by Tibet activist groups who see it as an attempt by Beijing to symbolize its control over Tibet. China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially independent for much of that time.
The cut to one day came after the relay was stopped for three days last week as part of a national period of mourning declared by the government to honor the victims of the May 12 earthquake in Sichuan province that left nearly 63,000 people dead and almost 24,000 others missing.
The announcement also came two months after a violent uprising in ethnic Tibetan areas throughout China led to a security clampdown in the region. China has said life is returning to normal, and monasteries are reopening in Tibet's capital, Lhasa. But foreigners are still banned and until recently Chinese were advised to stay away.
"All I can be sure of is that the Lhasa relay has been shortened to one day," said Li Lizhi of the Beijing Olympic torch relay center.
"It's probably either on June 18 or June 19, as is tentatively set now. But it is still open to future adjustment," she said.
Olympic organizers announced days ago that the Sichuan leg of the relay had been shifted from mid-June to early August because of the quake. The leg now will run from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5 instead of June 15 to June 18.
It was not clear if the torch relay would still go through Mianyang, one of the hardest-hit areas, as planned. The Beijing games start Aug. 8.
"It is too early to tell," said Zhang Liang, who is also with the torch relay center. "Every city has been preparing for it very hard and we will make the final decision based on how well each place recovers."
So far the torch has had a smooth relay in mainland China, uninterrupted by the protests over Tibet and human rights that dogged parts of its international tour.
Earlier this month, Chinese mountaineers raised the Olympic torch at the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, producing the triumphant image that China has longed for in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
The Everest torch was separate from the main Olympic flame, which is on a three-month tour of China after a one-month trip around the world.
Activists upset with Chinese government policies, especially pro-Tibet independence groups, used that trip around the world to stage protests to highlight their causes.
source courtesy :ap press
writer:HENRY SANDERSON
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
China picks up the Olympic torch again
2008/05/22
THE Olympic torch resumes its journey through China today after a three-day period of national mourning for victims of the earthquake that killed 40000 .
The torch relay will resume at a container port in eastern China’s seaport city of Ningbo, travelling through the city and across the Hangzhou Bay bridge to Jiaxing. Later today it is to be moved by vehicle to the country’s commercial centre of Shanghai.
So far, the torch has had a smooth relay in mainland China, uninterrupted by the protests that dogged parts of its international tour. But organisers scaled down the celebratory tone of the relay after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck central China on May 12, flattening entire communities. The torch relay last stopped in Hangzhou, a scenic city to the west of Ningbo.
China’s leadership has sought to use the Olympics, which begin on August 8 in Beijing, to showcase the country’s achievements and rally national unity.
The torch relay, which has travelled to all corners of the globe , has played a key role in the build-up to the Games. Organisers initially resisted changes in the relay, which corporate sponsors have paid millions of dollars to fund.
But public pressure for a moratorium on the event prompted organisers to adjust details of the relay. Some legs of the run were shortened and donations for victims have been collected along the way.
The torch was to remain in Shanghai on Friday and Saturday, and then travel on to neighbouring Jiangsu province. It is due to arrive on June 13 in the sprawling Yangtze River city of Chongqing and enter neighbouring Sichuan province, site of the quake’s epicentre, two days later.
The torch returns to Beijing on August 6, two days before the opening ceremony.
During the three-day mourning period, flags were flying at half- mast and entertainment events were cancelled. Television networks were running only news programmes .
Authorities have reported more than 40000 dead, with at least 10000 more deaths likely, and 32000 people missing from the disaster. — Sapa- AP
THE Olympic torch resumes its journey through China today after a three-day period of national mourning for victims of the earthquake that killed 40000 .
The torch relay will resume at a container port in eastern China’s seaport city of Ningbo, travelling through the city and across the Hangzhou Bay bridge to Jiaxing. Later today it is to be moved by vehicle to the country’s commercial centre of Shanghai.
So far, the torch has had a smooth relay in mainland China, uninterrupted by the protests that dogged parts of its international tour. But organisers scaled down the celebratory tone of the relay after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck central China on May 12, flattening entire communities. The torch relay last stopped in Hangzhou, a scenic city to the west of Ningbo.
China’s leadership has sought to use the Olympics, which begin on August 8 in Beijing, to showcase the country’s achievements and rally national unity.
The torch relay, which has travelled to all corners of the globe , has played a key role in the build-up to the Games. Organisers initially resisted changes in the relay, which corporate sponsors have paid millions of dollars to fund.
But public pressure for a moratorium on the event prompted organisers to adjust details of the relay. Some legs of the run were shortened and donations for victims have been collected along the way.
The torch was to remain in Shanghai on Friday and Saturday, and then travel on to neighbouring Jiangsu province. It is due to arrive on June 13 in the sprawling Yangtze River city of Chongqing and enter neighbouring Sichuan province, site of the quake’s epicentre, two days later.
The torch returns to Beijing on August 6, two days before the opening ceremony.
During the three-day mourning period, flags were flying at half- mast and entertainment events were cancelled. Television networks were running only news programmes .
Authorities have reported more than 40000 dead, with at least 10000 more deaths likely, and 32000 people missing from the disaster. — Sapa- AP
Friday, May 9, 2008
Beijing Olympic torch on Everest
CHINESE climbers carrying the Olympic flame reached the summit of Mount Everest yesterday, exactly three months before the Beijing Games.
A Tibetan woman, Cering Wangmo, was first to the top with a special extreme-altitude Olympic torch in what China has billed as the high point of its controversial torch relay.
"Beijing welcomes you!" team members said to live TV cameras as they stood at the summit unfurling Olympic banners and celebrating.
Others shouted: "We are on top of the world!", and "One World, One Dream", the official Games slogan.
The team had set out six hours earlier for a final push to the 8848m Himalayan peak, in an event delayed two weeks due to bad weather.
The special torch is different to the one now touring the Chinese mainland, after a global relay dogged by protests over Beijing's handling of unrest in Tibet and its overall human rights record.
China's plan to take the torch up Everest became particularly controversial after the communist Government cracked down on Tibetan protests against Chinese rule of the Himalayan region.
China deployed huge security teams for the flame's ascent. Climbing expeditions from both Everest's Tibetan and Nepalese sides were banned to prevent any disturbances.
China has said it hopes that the Everest leg will promote unity between Tibetans and China.
But exiled Tibetan leaders have said taking the torch through their nation is nothing less than an insult.
"China is clearly attempting to underscore its baseless claims to sovereignty over Tibet," said Matt Whitticase, spokesman for the London-based Free Tibet Campaign.
The main torch's three-month relay through China will culminate in Beijing with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron on August 8 to begin the Games.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Beijing Olympic torch nears Everest peak -Xinhua
EVEREST BASE CAMP, China, May 8 (Reuters) - A team of climbers taking the Beijing Olympic flame up Mount Everest is now just 48 metres short of the 8,848 metre (29,030 foot) peak, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday.
State television showed live footage of a team of mainly ethnic Tibetan climbers scaling Everest, known in Chinese as Mount Qomolangma.
Climbers were expected to reach the top by about 0100 GMT, state television reported.
Heavy snowfalls over the weekend had delayed China's crowning moment, destroying routes fixed earlier by climbers and forcing repairs to mountain-side camps.
But as a second day of relative calm enveloped Everest on Tuesday, organisers lifted a veil of silence shrouding the climb, buoying hopes of a renewed push to the summit.
The mountaineering team's spokesman said that 31 Chinese climbers, 22 of them ethnic Tibetan, were fixing routes and repairing camps for the final assault.
The Everest flame is separate from the main Olympic torch that arrived in mainland China on Sunday after a protest-marred international relay that embarrassed officials and sparked a wave of nationalistic fervour at home.
The anti-Chinese demonstrations that disrupted the international stretch of the longest torch relay in Olympic history were triggered by Tibetan riots and China's immediate crackdown. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, David Gray, and Mark Chisolm, Writing by Benjamin Kang Lim; Editing by Ken Wills and Valerie Lee) (Take a look at the Countdown to Beijing blog at http://blogs.reuters.com/china)
Sport
source :Reuters
coutesy:Reuters
State television showed live footage of a team of mainly ethnic Tibetan climbers scaling Everest, known in Chinese as Mount Qomolangma.
Climbers were expected to reach the top by about 0100 GMT, state television reported.
Heavy snowfalls over the weekend had delayed China's crowning moment, destroying routes fixed earlier by climbers and forcing repairs to mountain-side camps.
But as a second day of relative calm enveloped Everest on Tuesday, organisers lifted a veil of silence shrouding the climb, buoying hopes of a renewed push to the summit.
The mountaineering team's spokesman said that 31 Chinese climbers, 22 of them ethnic Tibetan, were fixing routes and repairing camps for the final assault.
The Everest flame is separate from the main Olympic torch that arrived in mainland China on Sunday after a protest-marred international relay that embarrassed officials and sparked a wave of nationalistic fervour at home.
The anti-Chinese demonstrations that disrupted the international stretch of the longest torch relay in Olympic history were triggered by Tibetan riots and China's immediate crackdown. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, David Gray, and Mark Chisolm, Writing by Benjamin Kang Lim; Editing by Ken Wills and Valerie Lee) (Take a look at the Countdown to Beijing blog at http://blogs.reuters.com/china)
Sport
source :Reuters
coutesy:Reuters
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