CHINA:SECURITY WAS tight in Lhasa as the city geared up for the arrival of the Olympic torch today, with a shortened relay planned for the Tibetan capital following anti-Chinese protests in March.
In the mountainous enclave, images of the five Fuwas, mascots of the Beijing Olympics, were displayed in flowers in front of the Potala Palace and there were slogans throughout Lhasa saying: "Light the Passion, Share the Dream", "Bless the Motherland, Joyfully Greet the Olympics" and "Great Ethnic Unity".
"The torch will be showcased in Lhasa. Lhasa's residents of various ethnicity are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the sacred Olympic flame," the Beijing organisers said. The flame arrives in the Tibetan capital after a three-day run through the restive province of Xinjiang.
Tibetan activists say the torch relay leg in Tibet and a separate relay to the peak of Mount Everest are an attempt by Chinese leaders to underline their control over the Himalayan region, whereas China says Tibet is, was and always will be Chinese.
The anti-China protests happened after Buddhist monks demanded an end to religious restrictions and the freeing of imprisoned colleagues in protests timed to coincide with the anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
The torch relay prompted violent protests in western cities as pro-Tibetan groups complained about a crackdown following the March riots, but the Olympic flame has had an easy passage through China, as expected.
However, authorities are keen to keep things muted since the May 12th earthquake in Sichuan province that left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing.
The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader and Nobel Peace Prize-winner whom Beijing holds responsible for inciting the March protests, appealed to Tibetans not to disrupt the relay in Lhasa.
"Over a billion Chinese brothers and sisters feel very proud of it. We must respect this, therefore we should not disturb it," he said.
The Dalai Lama's representatives have held talks with Beijing envoys. Beijing considers him a vile splittist and the official Xinhua news agency reiterated in its report on the torch relay that the rioting was "organised, premeditated and masterminded by the Dalai Lama clique". The Dalai Lama distances himself from violence and claims he is a moderate.
The torch will travel 11km (7 miles) starting at Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace, and ending at the hilltop Potala Palace, the traditional seat of Tibetan rulers, according to the China Daily.