The Taipei leg of the torch relay for the 2008 Tibetan Olympics took place yesterday with Tibetan expats in Taiwan, several Tibet support groups and Miss Tibet 2006 Tsering Chungtak in attendance.
"I feel very, very happy to be here today ? to celebrate the spirit of the Olympics," Chungtak told spectators, supporters of the free Tibet campaign and reporters gathered in front of the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall, where the relay took place.
"The Tibetan Olympics is a chance for young Tibetan men and women to enjoy the Olympics," she said.
PHOTO: AFP, CHIANG YING-YING
The Tibetan Olympics has been organized by Tibetans in exile, and will take place in Dharamshala, India -- the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile -- between May 15 and May 25.
So far, 15 Tibetan athletes have signed up to compete in the 10 events that make up the Tibetan Olympics, said Li Jieh-mei (
The events include long-distance running, swimming, shooting and archery, and six track and field events, according to the Tibetan Olympics Web site.
Tibetans in exile have filed an application to the International Olympic Committee to participate in the Beijing Olympics as "Team Tibet," but it was rejected.
The Tibetans therefore decided to organize their own Olympics, Taiwan Friends of Tibet chairwoman Chow Mei-li (
However, Chow still reminded observers to keep an eye on China after the Olympics.
"We should observe whether the Beijing Olympics will be like the 1936 Berlin Olympics, or the 1988 Seoul Olympics that helped to push for more democracy in South Korea," she said.
After a brief introduction to the Tibetan Olympics, the torch was brought forward as the Tibetans sang their national anthem.
A group of Tibetans and Chungtak chanted "Free Tibet" and "Boycott the Beijing Olympics"as they made a symbolic torch walk.
The relay began in New Delhi, India, on Jan. 30 and Taipei is the second stop for the relay after it passed through Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 17.
The organizers of the torch relay purposely chose Jan. 30 to begin the relay, because that was the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi, the leader of the non-violent resistance movement against British colonial rule, Chow told the audience at the ceremony.
After Taipei, the torch will travel to Dharamshala, India for a ceremony to mark the 49th anniversary of the March 10 Tibetan Uprising.
The relay will then continue through eight other cities in six countries -- including Japan, the US, Bolivia, the UK, South Africa and Israel -- before the torch finally returns to Dharamshala on May 25 for the Games' closing ceremony.
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