Security is tight in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa
Friday as it readies to host the Olympic torch relay three months after violent
anti-government protests rocked the remote city.
Foreign journalists who
were allowed to travel to Lhasa to cover Saturday's relay say banners and
billboards welcomed the Beijing Olympic Games, but note that police and security
troops were visible throughout the city.
Tibet has been under tight
security since mid-March when riots spread from Lhasa to other Tibetan regions
of the country. Tibet is still closed to tourists and journalists despite a
government pledge to allow more open media coverage in the run up to the
Olympics.
The Associated Press says police stopped one of its cameramen
from shooting street scenes today in Lhasa and forced him to erase footage of
security arrangements.
During the Lhasa leg, the Olympic flame will be
reunited with the flame that was taken separately to the top of Mount Everest
last month.
During its global journey, the Olympic torch relay has been
hounded by protests over China's treatment of Tibet and its poor human rights
record.
The government in Beijing has blamed the exiled Tibetan spiritual
leader, the Dalai Lama, for instigating Lhasa unrest. The Dalai Lama denies the
charges.
Some information for this report was provided by
AFP, AP and Reuters.