Taiwan approves Dalai Lama visit
August 27th, 2009 - 11:06 am ICT by IANSTaipei, 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.
- Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan to meet typhoon survivors (Lead, Changing dateline) - Aug 27, 2009
- Taiwan taking pains to make Dalai Lama's visit non-political - Aug 28, 2009
- Dalai Lama wraps up sensitive Taiwan visit - Sep 04, 2009
- Dalai Lama wraps up Taiwan visit (Lead) - Sep 04, 2009
- Dalai Lama urged to keep politics out during his Taiwan visit - Aug 31, 2009
- Dalai Lama may visit Taiwan: Prez - Aug 27, 2009
- Taiwan asks Dalai Lama to keep politics out of his visit - Sep 02, 2009
- Dalai Lama arrives in Taiwan on controversial visit - Aug 30, 2009
- Dalai Lama urges China to adopt democracy - Sep 03, 2009
- Behind the scene: Dalai Lama's Taiwan visit - Aug 28, 2009
- Taiwan, China launch regular cross-strait flights - Sep 01, 2009
- Taiwan issues warning as Typhoon Fanapi approaches - Sep 18, 2010
- Taiwan premier resigns (Lead) - Sep 07, 2009
- Dalai Lama holds prayers in Taiwan despite China protest - Sep 01, 2009
- Taiwan seeks F-16s to boost defence - Aug 19, 2010
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