(cache) Japan temple reconsiders plan to start torch route | Breaking news

TOKYO, April 18 (Reuters) - A temple in central Japan is reconsidering its plan to be the starting point for the Japanese leg of the Olympic torch relay next week, an official said on Friday.

The Buddhist Zenkoji temple in Nagano had accepted the offer to kick off the April 26 relay but was now rethinking the plan after the Chinese government launched a security crackdown in Buddhist Tibet after deadly riots last month.

"The situation has changed greatly since we accepted the offer," the official said by telephone. "We are considering what to do."

The temple, an iconic symbol of Nagano in central Japan, will hold an executive meeting within a few days to formally decide whether to withdraw from the relay route, Kyodo news reported.

Eighty torch-bearers are expected to jog the 18.5 km (11 miles) route, which had so far not been altered or cut short despite chaotic demonstrations at some of the torch's stops around the world.

On Friday, the torch was paraded through New Delhi as 15,000 police kept protesters from the world's largest community of exiled Tibetans far from the route.

The relay was also beset by protests through Europe and the United States, where in some cities protesters tried to snuff out the flame and organisers extinguished or hid the torch to keep it safe.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said Japan wanted to ensure security and prevent confusion for the Japanese leg, although he added that police at home would not need help from China.

A Nagano official said on Thursday that there would be no security role in Japan for Chinese paramilitary flame guards who have been criticised elsewhere for their perceived heavy-handed approach to managing the torch's progress.

Asked about the role of the Chinese flame guards, Machimura told a news conference: "There may be various private discussions between the Beijing Olympics committee and the prefectural police, but with regard to security, there is no change to the prefectural police view that ... it is not necessary to get additional help." (Reporting by Chisa Fujioka and Linda Sieg; Editing by David Fogarty)


	Search all jobs		Japan temple reconsiders plan to start torch route TOKYO, April 18 (Reuters) - A temple in central Japan is reconsidering its plan to be the starting point for the Japanese leg of the Olympic torch relay next week, an official said on Friday. The Buddhist Zenkoji temple in Nagano had accepted the offer to kick off the April 26 relay but was now rethinking the plan after the Chinese government launched a security crackdown in Buddhist Tibet after deadly riots last month. "The situation has changed greatly since we accepted the offer," the official said by telephone. "We are considering what to do." The temple, an iconic symbol of Nagano in central Japan, will hold an executive meeting within a few days to formally decide whether to withdraw from the relay route, Kyodo news reported. Eighty torch-bearers are expected to jog the 18.5 km (11 miles) route, which had so far not been altered or cut short despite chaotic demonstrations at some of the torch's stops around the world. On Friday, the torch was paraded through New Delhi as 15,000 police kept protesters from the world's largest community of exiled Tibetans far from the route. The relay was also beset by protests through Europe and the United States, where in some cities protesters tried to snuff out the flame and organisers extinguished or hid the torch to keep it safe. Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said Japan wanted to ensure security and prevent confusion for the Japanese leg, although he added that police at home would not need help from China. A Nagano official said on Thursday that there would be no security role in Japan for Chinese paramilitary flame guards who have been criticised elsewhere for their perceived heavy-handed approach to managing the torch's progress. Asked about the role of the Chinese flame guards, Machimura told a news conference: "There may be various private discussions between the Beijing Olympics committee and the prefectural police, but with regard to security, there is no change to the prefectural police view that ... it is not necessary to get additional help." (Reporting by Chisa Fujioka and Linda Sieg; Editing by David Fogarty)