Beijing, May 25: China today said that it would try and facilitate the early start of the 'Kailash Manasarovar yatra 2003' which had to be postponed due to the severe outbreak of Sars epidemic in most parts of the country. Pointing out that the decision to delay the opening of the border pass route was taken to prevent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) from spreading to Tibet, a senior Chinese foreign ministry official said that China attached importance to the bilateral agreement with India as well as the religious feelings of people who visit Mt Kailash in Tibet for pilgrimage.
"China attaches importance to this agreement. We will resume the visit of Indian pilgrims to Mt Kailash as soon as possible," foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qyiye said here when asked about the delay in this year's pilgrimage to Mt Kailash, which is a place of special pilgrimage and is holy to Buddhists, Hindus and Jains.

"Given that Sars is a complicated and new type of disease, China had stopped the flow of foreign tourists to Tibet," Zhang said, adding that the move is aimed to curb the spread of Sars into Tibet.

"This measure is also taken in the interests and safety of those tourists visiting Tibet," she added.

As per latest Sars-related information from China's ministry of health, no confirmed or suspected cases of Sars have been reported from Tibet situated in the remote Himalayan region.

Tibet is virtually cut-off as the Chinese government has sent at least five Sars prevention teams to Lhasa, Tibet's capital amid fears grew that the killer virus could wreak havoc if it took hold there.
Bureau Report