CHINA:A BIG security presence greeted the Olympic torch as it started its relay route through the restive Chinese province of Xinjiang. Crowds shouted "Go China!" while watchful security officials looked on from behind metal barriers as torchbearers ran the streets of the capital Urumqi.
After a minute's silence for the victims of the May 12th earthquake that devastated Sichuan, hundreds of torchbearers ran the flame across the city.
The international leg of the torch relay was hampered by protests from pro-Tibetan activists and human rights campaigners, but the torch has had a smooth passage through China, with a brief pause during the mourning period for the victims of the earthquake.
However, its passage through Xinjiang and Tibet is sure to be more controversial. Xinjiang is a central Asian region where many of the residents are Uighurs - Muslims who speak a Turkic language and want greater autonomy. Security officials claim to have foiled a number of plots by Xinjiang separatists that targeted the Games, including alleged attempts to crash an airliner and kidnap athletes and journalists.
Twelve of the torchbearers yesterday were Muslim women, while a Uighur boxer opened the relay.
The Olympic flame will probably pass through Lhasa this weekend, although organisers have yet to confirm the date or details of the route through the Tibetan capital where anti-Chinese rioting broke out in March.
Sophie Richardson, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, condemned the decision to run the torch through Lhasa: "Using Tibet for a propaganda opportunity such as the Olympic torch relay - while sealing it to independent investigators - is unconscionable and reckless."
The torch comes back to Beijing on August 6th, two days ahead of the opening ceremony.