(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Nangsa Choedon the representative said officials from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation called her to say the Tibetan spiritual leaders visa was denied the Cape Times newspaper reported on Thursday.Johannesburg: The Dalai Lama has again been refused entry into South Africa where he was going to attend the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates his South African representative said. Concern about angering China has been cited for a visa refusal in the past.
Nangsa Choedon the representative said officials from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation called her to say the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visa was denied the Cape Times newspaper reported on Thursday.
“For now the Dalai Lama has decided to cancel his trip to South Africa” Choedon was quoted as saying.
South Africa’s international relations department said later on Thursday it had received written confirmation from the office of the Dalai Lama in India indicating he has cancelled his planned visit to South Africa.
South Africa’s High Commission in New Delhi was still processing the visa application “in line with due process” it said. But “following the cancellation of the planned visit by the office of the Dalai Lama the Department now considers the matter to be closed.”
The annual summit is being held in Cape Town next month and is meant to commemorate the life of Mandela.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation on Thursday said it took note of South Africa’s statement about processing the visa.
This is the third time in five years the Dalai Lama has been refused a South African visa.
A South African court in 2012 ruled that officials “unreasonably delayed” a decision about whether to grant the Dalai Lama a visa for a 2011 trip largely out of fears of angering the Chinese government. For more news from Khaleej Times follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes and on Twitter at khaleejtimes Follow khaleejtimes ->
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.