Pretoria — The Catholic archbishop of Durban, Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, has sharply criticized a decision by the government to block the entry of the Dalai Lama into the country to attend a peace conference this week.
South Africa denied the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism a visa to attend the conference reportedly due to pressure from China, one of the country's key trading partners. China is opposed to the independence of Tibet, which the Dalai Lama supports.
The government decision has caused an international outcry, with several Nobel laureates threatening to boycott the conference in Johannesburg, which has been organised to highlight the first World Cup to be held in Africa in 2010.
Media reports on Tuesday said the peace conference for Nobel laureates was called off by organisers to protest the Dalai Lama visa ban.
"Having hosted the Dalai Lama in Durban some years ago, I express my shock and regret at the denial of his visa. I am concerned that this man of peace is not allowed into our country at this time when we need people of peace to inspire us," Cardinal Napier said on Monday.
"I'm very concerned that our rights to association, freedom of religion and freedom of expression have been sold out to economic and political expedience once again."
Retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, described the decision to bar the Dalai Lama as "disgraceful".
A spokesperson for the Dalai Lama told AFP news agency he was "very disappointed" and accused South Africa of succumbing to "intense pressure" from China.
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Appearances are not always as they may seem in regard to the denying Dalia a visa to attend the Peace Conference in South Africa. To be clear, it was this same lama that was employed by the CIA and KGB during the height of the Cold War. The CIA hired Dalia to send Tibetan Guerillas against the Chinese, that most certainly meant a death warrant for their compliance to a man,who held 6,000 Serfs at the time of the Chinese Liberation of over 1,980,000 Slaves and Serfs from over 350 years of servitude to the Dalia Lineage. Supposedly, he is the same man as he was when he enlisted the Mongolian Cavalry to slaughter his rivals as he ascended to absolute and total control of what we now call Tibet has been ruled by a totalitarian theocratic dictatorial Medievalist Potentate with an Iron-hand issuing mutilation to any of the serfs and slaves who had issue with his administration absolute control over their lives. All of this Hollywood garbage is the result of years of grooming by the Elite Royalist of Movie Stars. Dl used to fly Coach, now he has a private jet to carry his holy personage. He is not the elected head of any of Mahayanna nor Tibetan bodies. Not one! He is as Hitler and commands all respect from his subjects. Which he includes all of you , like it or not!