Agence France Presse: Olympic torch relay starts in Tibet

Human Rights in China, a New York-based rights group, said Saturday it was "deeply concerned" by the Chinese authorities' decision to send the torch to Tibet.

"This provocative decision – with the blessing of the International Olympic Committee – could aggravate tensions and undermine the fragile process to find a peaceful long-term solution for Tibet and the region," said Human Rights in China Executive Director Sharon Hom.

"The government's insistence on parading the torch through Lhasa can only undermine the respect and trust required for a genuine dialogue process with the Dalai Lama," she said in a statement.

• HRIC Campaign:
  Incorporating Responsibility 2008 Take Action Campaign
  
  
• HRIC Press Statement:
  Torch Relay in Tibet: Spectacle over Substance
  
  
• HRIC Press Statement:
  Chinese Authorities Abuse Licensing System to Harass Rights Defenders
  
  
• HRIC Press Statement:
  Chinese Authorities Target Lawyers Offering Legal Assistance to Tibetans
  
  
• HRIC Press Statement:
  Chinese Lawyers Offer Legal Help to Detained Tibetans
  
  
• HRIC Press Advisory:
  Ethnic Minorities Remain Marginalized, Tensions Rise
  
  
• China Rights Forum No. 1, 2008:
  One Slogan, Many Meanings: Bring Tibet to the 2008 Games
  
  
• HRIC Press Advisory:
  Stop Crackdowns in Tibet, Start Dialogue
  
  
• China Rights Forum No. 4, 2007:
  Decline of Potala Palace - Woeser discusses the history of the Tibetan palace and the way Chinese-led economic development has changed its face.
  
  
• China Rights Forum No. 4, 2007:
  The Real Situation in Pre-Olympics China - Teng Biao and Hu Jia give their views about the situation on the ground in the countdown to the Olympics.
  
  
• China Rights Forum No. 3, 2007:
  A Tibetan Activist’s Beijing Blog - Lhadon Tethong kept her readers informed of her efforts to meet IOC president Jacques Rogge in Beijing, and her brief detention as a result.