Taiwan approves Dalai Lama visit
August 27th, 2009 - 11:06 am ICT by IANS ( 1 comment )Taipei, Aug 27 (DPA) Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday that Taipei has approved a visit of the Dalai Lama to Taiwan to comfort the survivors of Typhoon Morakot, government officials confirmed.
Ma made the statement while touring south Taiwan, which was hit Aug 8 by the storm that left at least 461 people dead and 192 missing.
The Taiwan government held a news conference to formally announce its approval of the visit of the Tibetan spiritual leader.
The officials from three southern Taiwan counties and cities invited the Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan from Aug 31 to Sep 3 to hold prayer meetings for the typhoon victims and bless the survivors.
“The Dalai Lama is very happy to visit Taiwan,” Dawa Tsering, the Dalai Lama’s representative in Taipei, told DPA Wednesday.
In December 2008, Ma had said the time was not ripe for the Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan, apparently for fear of hurting improving relations with China.
The Dalai Lama, in exile in India since 1959 following an abortive uprising against China’s invasion of Tibet, has close ties with Taiwan. He has some 500,000 disciples on the island and opened his representative office in Taipei in 1998.
He drew large crowds when he visited Taiwan in 1997 and 2001 to lecture on Buddhism.
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Tags: buddhism, close ties, dalai lama, dalai lama visit, dawa tsering, disciples, dpa, government officials, invasion of tibet, ma ying jeou, news conference, prayer meetings, representative office, south taiwan, southern taiwan, taipei, taiwan government, taiwan president, tibetan spiritual leader, typhoon victims
August 29th, 2009 at 4:21 am
Dalai Lama is a world respected figure. A nobel peace award laureate and best face of the peaceful of the peaceful buddhism. The chinese are good people but the govt. policy to always attack him is making them look so absurd and obsessed.This policy must change and infact Beijing must invite the Dalai Lama to China and resolve the Tibet issue once and for ever for everyones well-being. Many government oficials may want to change this old obsolete policy. Time for true Buddhism to rise and shine in China. May all beings live in peace and harmony and think and act well.