Tibet officials vow tight security for Games torch

By Chris Buckley and Lindsay Beck

BEIJING (Reuters) - China vowed strict security for the Olympic torch relay through restive Tibet on Monday as protesters tried to disrupt the torch lighting in Greece, clouding Beijing's hopes of the relay symbolizing national unity.

Unidentified demonstrators tried to interrupt the torch-lighting ceremony while the Beijing Games organizing chief was speaking. The protesters were quickly detained. Chinese state media made no mention of the brief incident.

Beijing has stepped up its drive to rally support for the Games in response to international attention on Tibet. But Monday's protest in Greece was a sign of China's challenges to come as the torch circles the globe.

China blames the recent unrest on the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader.

"The political monk's statement of supporting the Beijing Olympic Games has been proven a lie; his followers boycotted the torch relay and resorted to violence in Lhasa and elsewhere," the official Xinhua news agency said of the Dalai Lama.

The government has also sought to contain dissent elsewhere.

On Monday, a Chinese court sentenced an unemployed factory worker to five years in jail on charges of inciting subversion.

Yang Chunlin's sister said he was jailed because of essays he posted online that were critical of China's parliament and the ruling Communist Party.