Olympics: Protests

China has decided to increase security for the torch relay of the Olympics. The torch is supposed to arrive in Beijing on March 31st, but will travel through 20 other countries before returning to the mainland. China also decided for the torch to be carried through Tibet and to the top of Mount Everest. Activists groups within Tibet are upset with this decision and believe that Beijing is trying to convey a false message about Asian relations. Protests began in Lhasa on March 10th, where it was reported that 80 Tibetans were killed. China says that the protests were caused by followers of the Dalai Lama. "The more determined the Dalai clique is to ruin the torch relay and the Olympic Games, the more hard and good work we need to do on the preparation and the implementation of all aspects," Yin Xunping, a Communist Party official, was quoted as saying by the Tibet Daily newspaper. Yin is party secretary of the Tibet Mountain Climbing Team, which is participating in the Mount Everest segment of the torch relay.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/24/olmpics.security.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch