The Dalai Lama says South Africa's failure to issue him a travel visa has forced him to call off his planned participation in this week's birthday celebration of anti-apartheid leader Desmond Tutu.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Dalai Lama's office in India said it is convinced that, “for whatever reason,” the South Africa government “finds it inconvenient” to issue a travel visa to the Tibetan leader.
The Dalai Lama requested a South African visa five months ago so he could attend Tutu's 80th birthday celebrations, which begins this Thursday.
South African officials have denied being under pressure from China, a key trading partner, to block the visit. China regularly applies diplomatic pressure to governments that permit visits by the Dalai Lama. Full story...
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