Torch still going to Tibet, organisers say

By Nick Mulvenney

BEIJING (Reuters) - Current unrest in Tibet will not affect plans to take the Olympic torch in a few weeks time through the remote mountainous region on its way to Beijing, a spokesman for the Games organisers said on Saturday.

Asked whether he thought the unrest would affect the torch relay, Sun Weide, spokesman for the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) said: "I don't think so, no.

"The preparations for the torch relay in Tibet and taking the flame up Mount Qomolangma have been progressing smoothly," he added, referring to the Chinese name for Mount Everest.

"I think the authorities in Tibet are dealing with the situation and it is now stable," Sun said, when asked if he thought the unrest might lead to calls for a boycott of the Games.

"Hosting the Olympic Games is a century-old dream for the Chinese people," he added. "The whole Chinese people, including our compatriots in Tibet, are very much looking forward to the Beijing Olympic Games."

China has been buffeted ahead of the Games by worries over dirty air and international protests over human rights, Tibet, Sudan's Darfur and other controversies that often irk Chinese diplomats.

Hollywood actor and Tibetan activist Richard Gere said on Friday that China should suffer a boycott of the Beijing Olympics if it mishandles protests in Tibet, where authorities have admitted 10 people have burnt to death in riots.

Earlier this week Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told critics to back off, accusing them of violating the Olympic Games charter keeping politics away from sports.