Olympic torch still going to Tibet

Mar. 19 - The Tibetan leg of the Olympic torch relay will go ahead as planned despite the recent violent protests in Lhasa.

Beijing's Olympic Organising Committee made the announcement as Chinese authorities said more than 100 people turned themselves in to police after taking part in the protests.

The crackdown on the protests in Tibet and neighbouring Chinese provinces, which may have killed dozens of people, have sparked calls for a boycott of Beijing's showcase Games.

Stefanie McIntyre reports.Shrugging off violent protests that have shaken Tibet, China said that the Olympic torch would still go through the Himalayan region on its way to August's Beijing Games.Vice president of the Beijing Olympic Organising Committee said the Tibetan government would maintain stability in the region and condemned the riots.(SOUNBITE) (Mandarin) EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BEIJING ORGANISING COMMITTEE FOR THE OLYMPIC, JIANG XIAOYU, SAYING:"These kind of disruptive prortests are in fact a challenge to the Olympic charter, and a challenge to all Olympic fans. they are also a challenge to the progress of peace in the world. I believe that these kind of activities will not win the hearts of the people, and will certainly fail." Meanwhile, a Tibet official said 100 people had given themselves up to police for taking part in riots that rocked the regional capital on Friday.(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) BAIMA CHILIN, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF TIBET TERRITORY GOVERNMENT, SAYING: "There are more than 100 rioters who have turned themselves in. Some are participants, while some were directly involved in beating, smashing, looting and arson. Some have handed over money they had stolen."Authorities issued a Monday midnight deadline urging rioters to hand themselves in or face tougher punishment if caught. China accuses the exiled leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, of orchestrating the rash of monk-led protests and rioting -- the most serious in the Himalayan region for nearly two decades -- in a bid to wreck the Olympic Games in August.But the Dalai Lama says he wants greater autonomy for his homeland, not independence.His government-in-exile says 99 people died when Chinese security forces moved to quell the riots, but Beijing maintains 13 "innocent civilians" were killed in the violence.Stefanie McIntyre. Reuters