Organisers have postponed a conference of Nobel peace laureates in South Africa after the government denied a visa to Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who won the prize in 1989 - five years after South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu won his and four years before Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk won theirs for their roles in ending the racist apartheid regime.
Although local media said the visa ban followed pressure from China, an increasingly important investor and trade partner, the government said it had not been influenced by Beijing and that the Dalai Lama’s presence was just not in South Africa’s best interest at the moment.
The conference, ahead of the 2010 World Cup, had been due to discuss how to use soccer to fight xenophobia and racism.
“We stand by our decision. Nothing is going to change. The Dalai Lama will not be invited to South Africa. We will not give him a visa between now and the World Cup,” said government spokesman Thabo Masebe.
Whatever the reasoning, it angered the Nobel laureates in a country which has prided itself as a model of democracy and human rights since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla, one of the conference organisers said the rejection was tainting South Africa’s democratic credentials.
“The government needs to review its decision and come to the party,” said Mandela, set to become a parliamentarian with the ruling African National Congress after the election in April.
Allowing a visit by the Dalai Lama could certainly have made relations with Beijing more difficult. Ties between France and China were badly strained after French President Nicolas Sarkozy met him in December, when France held the European Union presidency.
But banning the Dalai Lama has also created a storm that South Africa was unlikely to have wanted either.
Was the ban the right thing to do?
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“Empty democracy or freedom, human rights, have they ever stopped to expoit Africa? China doesn’t buy those shit from the west and what has happended to them?And what happened to DL? He is still staying there where he was and flattering the west. He so cowerd, missed one after other chance back to China, afraid he will be killed. He wouldn’t never die for his people. Do the world really believe that Chinese government will kill him? Don’t make me laugh!!!”
If you believe that such things as human rights and freedom is shit, than I question what morals and ideology you believe in. If the decision to keep out the DL was purely made by the South African government with no pressure from any external source, then the decision should be respected.
- Posted by JasonIn terms of the DL, who are we to say that he would not lay his life down for his people. Calling ANY human being a coward for a fear of death, is simply disgusting. It takes courage to face such adversity and fight for your people and culture that is being opressed, against insurmountable odds. Charly, I hope you can find your emotions and stray away from your Machiavellian attitude.
Those who have been brain washed have been shouting aloud and pointing at their opposition and critisizing. The last thing Africa needs is braind washed by the western media. Empty democracy or freedom, human rights, have they ever stopped to expoit Africa? China doesn’t buy those shit from the west and what has happended to them?And what happened to DL? He is still staying there where he was and flattering the west. He so cowerd, missed one after other chance back to China, afraid he will be killed. He wouldn’t never die for his people. Do the world really believe that Chinese government will kill him? Don’t make me laugh!!!
- Posted by charlySouth Africa supports Mugabe because it is in SA best interest????, bans the DL because it isn’t in their best interest ???? .
- Posted by buffalojumpMost of the world should boycott the world cup in SA because it is in many countries best interest.
I think it is good one way since it gives more attention to Tibet issue and the ban rather helps convey the message–only more forcefully.
GO DL!
- Posted by rajeevwhether or not the ban makes sense depends upon the paradigm in use; if one of open discussions with all cards on the table face-up, no; if the agenda is media- and academic-elite-driven, then why not, as predictable outcomes are farces anyway? no transparency, no peace
- Posted by jdSouth Africa is again showing how short sighted and irresponsible it is. Cosying up to repugnat regimes and abandoning principle shows they probably don’t have what it takes to represent Africa on the security council or represent the down troden. Keep at it and the chickens will come home to roost sooner or later.
- Posted by MakwazLets see the Dalai Lama was what, 17 when the Chinese invaded Tibet. Knowing the progressive nature of the Dalai Lama I think we would see a much different country today then when he was 17. There is no doubt it would be better than it is under the repressive Chinese regime which is one of the most brutal dictatorships in the world. Is that they price they are to pay for food on their table? Torture and murder at the hands of their oppressors. The Dalai Lama wants peace and compassion and the opportunity for his countrymen to have freedoms like exist in the US. I know its not perfectin the US(what is) but Chinas rule over Tibet is an insult to humanity.
- Posted by RCI own lots of products made by the brain washed slaves in China. If people won’t stand up for themselves, and will in fact defend their overlords they deserve exactly what they get. If they enjoy being under the thumb of a corrupt regime and won’t fight for their own rights then let them suffer. If you want to be a stooge then go ahead.
- Posted by frank castleI think it’s hilarious all this talk about how bad and evil the DL is, who cares, let him come and talk and then people will see if that is true. I, unlike the Chinese gov’t and apparently some of it’s people aren’t afraid to let people talk and make up my own mind.
a) What DL wants is not striving for Tibetans to reclaim their lost sovereignty, it’s for His Holiness to reclaim his lost serfdom. This is not a man suffered in hell for 50 years. He could’ve choosen to stay & fight for “his” people in the peaceful way, instead of moving all his treasures to India.
- Posted by An American in Chinab) it’s idiotic to do Chinese-bashing, and to insult 1.2 billion people. Bigotry in the name of human rights is, hypocrisy.
c) when countries do things to please the US gov’t, it’s good; when they tried to please other gov’t, then it’s bad. hello?!
d) not all the Chinese officials are “cronies and goons”, there’re many bad ones but few good ones, like any other government on earth. nothing’s odd about it.
e) what is more important for Tibetans (or any human beings of any race): food on the table, education for kids, means to make a living - be self-subsistent, gov’t assistant when mother nature strikes & kill your whole herd of yaks…. OR?? slavery from the dark ages.
f) wonder if Mr. frank castle own anything that is “made in China”, wonder how much principle is there: standing against cheap-enslaved-brainwashed-exploded-robo tic-dumb-mute workers Vs going for cheap prices.
Why are the journalists so lazy or afraid to just go to some real historians or go to the library to check Tibet’s history and tell the public the truth? Here is the link from Harvard University website with all the old maps made by British. http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~chgis/data/c hgis/downloads/v3/datasets/index.html#ci tas I don’t want to judge who is honest and who is lying to the world. I hope all the people with a functioning brain can tell the fact.
- Posted by GingercatThis is not an insult to the journalists, but all the medias have different wealthy sponsors which already sign them into a specific tone on politics, so there is no fair and freedom speech here in the whole world, well maybe only in your dreams.
western writers/reporters all have mental blocks re Dalai. They have chosen to overlook some history facts. They have made him the “perfect” person instead of a religious ploitician. I hope they shed their colored glasses and be more objective.
- Posted by lcjIt is ironic that the Dalai Lama who has been tring to engage the Chinese is a peaceful solution to their conflict with the culture in Tibet - should have been denied entry -
- Posted by Constance BlackwellIt only shows that the Chinese are seriously afraid of him.
they are not so very clever that way - but they seems to take the view that isolating people outside their system will make them go away -
Clearly the Chinese are indifferent to the suffering of the Tibet people - and with their demand for conformity want all people in the Chinese empire to be alike
Constance Blackwell
So sad the position of SA.
- Posted by mariaThis is the latest example of the importance of do not forget the PAST. Like Slavery, Holocaust,Communism, and other violence .
It is so important to always remind the world and new generations the atrocities from the past to learn and never forget the Human Suffering.
To teach to do not be cowards and have the courage to preserve Freedom and Dialogue.
No! to subjugate your values.
Sow sorry to see this happening again and all the world witnness of this acts of discrimination and seudo justification of foreign policy.