Final attempt for Dalai Lama’s visa – Decision to be revealed on Monday

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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A final attempt is going to be made to grant visa to the Dalai Lama to attend the 80^th birthday party of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu through holding a vigil at the Parliament on Monday. 

Tutu has invited Dalai Lama to his 80^th birthday celebrations in Cape Town. Dalai Lama was refused to give entry into the country two years ago. Tutu has now warned the government that it is creating problems by again refusing his fellow Nobel Peace laureate to get enter into South Africa

The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since escaping from Tibet after the failure of uprising in 1959. He has accepted Chinese rule, however, Beijing still accuses him of being a separatist and always opposes his meetings with foreign leaders. In 2009, South Africa rejected the visa application of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader to visit the country to attend a peace conference, for fear of putting its relations at risk with China, a key trade partner.

A Buddhist teacher, Karen de Vos said that the occasion is very close and almost 300 people are looking forward that Dalai Lama will be given visa in this last chance. CEO of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre, Nomfundo Walaza has stated that a veil of secrecy is surrounding the governmental discussions on the said matter. Refusing the application will be an act of disrespect to the archbishop who is celebrating his birthday. But hopefully, it is not going to happen. The matter is getting delayed but the increasing public pressure will not let it be forgotten.

Director of The Institute of Security Studies inCape Town, Hennie van Vuuren has said that there seems to be no valid reason for not granting the Dalai Lama a visa. As, he has been recently granted a visa to, visit the United States, Argentina and Brazil. He further added that Lama is not wanted by the International Criminal Court, nor he is wanted for war crimes in any country.

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