Sterile and Staged: The Olympic Torch Relay in Tibet
Today the Olympic torch passed through Lhasa, Tibet. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports the route was lined with hand-picked spectators and guarded by paramilitary police. James Reynolds of the BBC attended, and he describes a sterile, staged event.
Chris Buckley of Reuters writes "Chinese-appointed Tibetan leaders used the passing of the Olympic torch relay through the capital Lhasa on Saturday to defend Communist Party control of the remote Buddhist region and denounce the exiled Dalai Lama." There is speculation the monasteries are locked down, but the government of China has done such a thorough job of isolating Tibet that little word about the monks is leaking out.
Tibetan Buddhists are observing the holy month of Saka Dawa, usually marked by pilgrimages and other public expressions of devotion. Last year the government of China placed severe restrictions on Saka Dawa activities. This year, it's hard to tell whether Buddhists in Tibet are being allowed to celebrate Saka Dawa at all.
Photo Caption: A Chinese policeman stops photos from being taken during the ending ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay on June 21, 2008 in Lhasa, Tibet.
Photo Credit: Guang Niu/Getty Images
Comments
Thanks for this interesting info. It’s so sad for me to see what’s happened with all the controversy over the Olympics. My little girl has a Beijing Olympics 2008 T-shirt — when she first started wearing it last year everyone remarked positively about it. Now I’m starting to worry that she shouldn’t wear it in public!