Japanese temple won't host torch
A major Japanese Buddhist temple withdrew Friday from a plan to play host to the Beijing Olympics torch relay, citing safety concerns and sympathy among its monks and worshipers for Tibetan protesters facing a Chinese crackdown.
Zenkoji Temple declined to serve as the starting point for the April 26 relay, said Kunihiko Shinohara, secretary general of the Nagano city organizing committee for the event. The relay has drawn protests around the world against China's handling of Tibetan demonstrators.
"Zenkoji is a Buddhist temple. Naturally, we are concerned about Tibet," Zenkoji official Shinsho Wakaomi said at a news conference after meeting city officials.
He said the monks were concerned about the way fellow Buddhists were treated in Tibet, as well as the safety of the temple and its worshipers in case the relay sparked the angry demonstrations it has brought to Europe and the United States.
City officials said they respected the temple's decision, although that meant the starting point had to change.
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"We do understand the importance of human rights issues," said Nagano Mayor Shoichi Washizawa. "But once we have made a commitment to host the torch relay, we must accomplish our duty squarely."
The government in Tokyo said it planned to provide adequate security.
"The relay has caused various problems, even though it's an event that everyone should enjoy," Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said. "I would like all participants to make efforts to avoid any troubles."
Fukuda told Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi of China, who was visiting Friday, that Beijing should start talks with Tibetans and do its utmost to prevent the Tibetan issue from further affecting the Beijing Olympics, according to a Japanese Foreign Ministry statement.
Nagano, the host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, has already canceled a post-relay event because of security concerns.
Since its start March 24 in Greece, the torch relay has been a magnet for critics of China's policies in Tibet. Protesters disrupted stops in London, Paris and San Francisco, causing the Olympics to be among the most contentious in years.
The torch arrived in Thailand on Friday, in advance of the relay there on Saturday. It will proceed to Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia and then Japan.