NGO Criticises Govt Over Dalai Lama

The Desmond Tutu Peace Centre says the way the South African government has responded to the Dalai Lama’s visa application is ‘disrespectful’.

The Centre has quoted Tutu as saying in an interview this is “reminiscent of the way authorities dealt with applications by black South Africans for travel documents under apartheid.”

Contrary to the claim by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation that the Tibetan spiritual leader only submitted the relevant documents six days ago, spokesperson for the Office of Tibet in Pretoria, Sonam Tenzing, says that, “They have had all the documentation required to make their decision on the visa, and received the physical passport for stamping on 20 September 2011 when His Holiness returned from a visit to South America.”

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