The latest leg
of the Olympic torch relay was held in Tibet's capital of Lhasa Saturday under
tight security.
The relay began at the exiled Tibetan leader Dalai
Lama's former summer palace, Norbulingka, and ended at the hilltop Potala Palace
- the traditional seat of Tibetan rulers.
Hand-picked spectators cheered
runners as they carried the torch through the sealed-off city, while police and
soldiers lined the relay route to prevent any unrest.
The torch run has
been marred during its international tour by protests over China's policies in
Tibet.
In the Nepalese capital of Katmandu Saturday, hundreds of
Tibetans protested outside a Chinese consular office to condemn the passage of
the torch through Tibet.
Police in the capital say they detained more
than 400 Tibetan protesters.
The relay leg through Lhasa came three
months after riots against Chinese rule shook the city.
Sharon Hom,
director of the New York-based group Human Rights in China, called the Tibet
relay "provocative," and said it could aggravate tensions in the region.
On Friday, China said it had released more than one thousand people held
for alleged involvement in the anti-government riots in Lhasa. The official
Xinhua news agency said 12 others were sentenced this week for their role in the
protests.
In April, authorities handed down punishments to 30 people for
several charges, including arson and robbery, committed during the
unrest.
The news agency quotes Tibet's vice chairman Palma Trily as
saying another 116 people remain in custody awaiting trial.
Some information for this report was provided by
AFP and Reuters.