Dalai_Lama

Dalai Lama refused entry to South Africa 1. Introduction The Dalai Lama, a man revered for being an icon of peace was refused entry into South Africa, a country which ironically fought for democracy and peace for all race groups. The Dalai Lama was invited to attend a World Cup Peace Conference in South Africa but was refused entry when his visa was refused by the Department of Foreign Affairs (SAPA, 2009.) The essay will examine the possible reasons why the authorities refused to issue the Dalai Lama’s visa. The following issues will be discussed; a brief history of Tibet, the reasons for his visit to South Africa, why he was refused entry into the country and the effects of the decision. 2. A Brief History of Tibet The Dalai Lama stems from a lineage of religious leaders of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Khar (1991, p. 31) Dalai means “ocean” in Mongolian and Lama means “guru or spiritual teacher” When translated it means a teacher who is spiritually as deep as the ocean. (Khar, 2009, p. 31) The institution of the Dalai Lama has become a central focus of Tibetan culture. Its struggle for independence and cultural survival has captured the world’s attention (Khar, 2009, p. 32). Between the 17th century and 1959 the lines of Dalai Lamas were the head of the Tibetan Government administering a portion of an area in the capital Lhasa. In 1912 the 13th Dalai Lama issued a Declaration of Independence from China. The Dalai Lamas continued to rule Tibet until the People’s Republic of China invaded the region in 1949 and took full control in 1959. The current, 14th Dalai Lama then fled to India and ceded power to an elected government in exile. This year marked the 50th anniversary of his exile and 60 years since what the Tibetans regards as China’s military invasion of Tibet but which the Chinese Government describes as its liberation of Tibetans. China has ruled remote and mountainous Tibet with an iron hand since the People's Liberation, army troops marched into the region in 1950 (Dietriech, p. 50). There has been little mention of the Dalai Lama in western culture before the Chinese invasion of Tibet. When the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso won the Nobel Peace prize in 1989 his public awareness grew even more widespread as he became the topics of various articles and motion pictures such as, Seven Years in Tibet. (Harris, p. 234) 3. Reasons for his visit The Dalai Lama was invited by South African Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Desmond Tutu, FW De Klerk and Nelson Mandela to attend the World Cup Peace Conference but the Department of Foreign Affairs refused to issue a visa (SAPA, 2009.). His Holiness, as he is known has been in exile for 50 years after a failed uprising that led to the Tibetan spiritual leader's escape into exile. He is an iconic symbol of peace for the world, a man who has dedicated most of his life to the dissemination of humility, dignity and understanding. Beyond his efforts to secure autonomy for Tibet, his work as a champion of human rights and dialogue has touched generations of people from all walks of life. (SAPA, 2009.) The Tibetan Leader was due to speak at the Peace Conference which would focus on the ways that soccer could fight racism and xenophobia along with the Nobel Peace Prize committee from Norway and Hollywood actors, Charlize Theron and Morgan Freeman. (IOL, 2009) 4. Reasons for the refused entry The reasons for the Dalai Lama being denied entry could be because of pressure from the Chinese Government or with the speculation that the Chinese Communist Party is providing funding for the ruling party’s election campaign. China is one of South Africa’s biggest trading partners. According to Rossouw (2009) South Africa has been China’s key trading partner in Africa, accounting for 20.8 percent of China’s trade with Africa. China’s direct investment into South Africa was about R60 bn and South Africa’s investment in China came to about R20bn. (Rossouw, 2009) The South African Government did not have a problem with the Dalai Lama coming to South Africa but the timing of the visit would shift the focus from the World Cup to the issues in Tibet according to Thabo Masebe, an ANC spokesperson. (IOL, 2009) The government is refuting rumours that China had a role in the government’s decision and said simply that it would not be in the best interests of the country at this stage. According to Dai Bing from the Chinese Embassy however, China is opposed to any country in any form supporting or sympathising with the Dalai Lama as he is seen as a “separatist”by the Chinese government (IOL, 2009). Dai Bing a ministerial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria have however confirmed that his government had appealed to the South African Government not to allow the Dalai Lama into the country, warning that if it did so it would harm bilateral relations. He also reiterated that it was an extremely inopportune time for the Dalai Lama to visit the country as it was the 60th anniversary of what Tibetans regards as China’s military invasion of Tibet but which the Chinese Government describes as its liberation of Tibetans. It also marks the 50th anniversary of His Holiness exile in India and the first year of serious political unrest in Tibet. (IOL, 2009) The government is afraid of creating any tension and harming the relationship in any way although the ANC were not divulging its funding sources for the election campaign although party insiders involved in fundraising say its election effort is heavily subsidised by the ruling parties in Libya, Angola, India and more importantly China. ANC Officials including Jacob Zuma have been travelling, ostensibly to build historical relationships with other ruling parties but also to raise funds (Rossouw, 2009). In June last year, in New Delhi, he signed a memorandum of understanding between the ANC and the Indian National Congress. This was followed by a visit to China where he met Hu Jintao, Chinese president and general secretary of the Communist Party of China (Rossouw, 2009). The South African government were also afraid of any repercussions as with the French government when the French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with the Dalai Lama in Poland in December. China then withdrew from a summit with the European Union planned for the same month in protest, angry about the French President’s meeting with the exiled Tibetan Spiritual leader. (www.seekingalpha.com). France has subsequently apologized in order to mend relations with China (IOL, 2009). The reasons France has apologized could be because of the business relationship that has developed between the countries. China is France’s ally and trade partner. China has cheap consumer goods that don’t compete directly with French-made products, which means France can allow China to sell them in the European market with no fear of losing market share. A more recent successful meeting took place between French President, Nicolas Sarkozy and Chinese officials, after which contracts worth $30 billion were signed for French companies (www.seekingalpha.com). 5. The effects of the decision The effects of the decision of refusing the Dalai Lama entry into the country may have serious repercussions in terms of what the conference intentions are and also from a perspective of South Africa’s own political history. Several countries and well known leaders have spoken out against the decision, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Health Minister Barbara Hogan (IOL, 2009). The Archbishop and former President FW De Klerk have also withdrawn from the Peace conference in protest. The decision has sparked uproar around the country and across the world and the attention seems to have had the opposite effect instead of focusing on the World Cup being hosted in South Africa, the country is receiving publicity for banning the Dalai Lama. (IOL, 2009). The court has also dismissed an urgent Cape High Court application by IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi for the Dalai Lama to be granted a visa to visit South Africa. The court ruled the matter was not urgent since the 2010 World Cup-related peace conference for which the Dalai Lama had been invited last month, had been cancelled (IOL, 2009). 6. Conclusion This essay has discussed a brief history of Tibet and its culture, why the Dalai Lama was refused entry into South African and the effects of the decision. How could a nation that benefitted so much from the international pressure to end Apartheid not respect the basic rights and freedom of the Dalai Lama' The reasons for the decision to bar the Dalai Lama’s entry into the country begs a bigger question, is the fight for human rights outweighed by the need for power and financial gain …. Bibliography: Dietrich. C. (1986.) People’s China – A brief history. Oxford University Press Harris. I. (1999.) Buddhism and Politics in twentieth- century Asia. Khar, R.D. (1991.) The Institution of the Dalai Lama. Tibet Journal,16. pp. 19-32 Rossouw. M. (2009.) ANC's dodgy funders. Retrieved April 12, 2009 from http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-03-21-ancs-dodgy-funders SAPA. (2009.) We want the focus to remain on SA- Kgalema. Retrieved April 12, 2009 from http://www.iol.co.za/general/news/newsprint.php'art_id=nw20090323133214907C50... SAPA. (2009.) Outrage at Dalai Lama's snub. Retrieved April 12, 2009 from http://www.iol.co.za/general/news/newsprint.php'art_id=nw20090323133214907C50... Three Ways to Profit from a China-France Alliance. (2008.) Retrieved May 8, 2009 from http://seekingalpha.com/article/90576-three-ways-to-profit-from-a-china-france-alliance