Dalai Lama refused visa for Nobel summit

The South African government's refusal to grant the Dalai Lama a visa to enter the country next month for a Nobel peace laureate summit has prompted a number of participants to pull out of the event in protest.

Rights groups have applauded yesterday's decision by American political activist Jody Williams, Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi, and Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, all members of the Nobel Women's Initiative, to boycott the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Cape Town.

The Dalai Lama was to attend this first ever meeting of Nobel Peace Prize winners in Africa, from October 13th to 15th. According to an aide, he withdrew his visa application after he was told it would not be successful.

This is the third time in five years that South African officials have refused to allow the Tibetan spiritual leader to enter the country. In 2011 the government refused to allow him to attend Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 80th birthday celebrations, and in 2009 he was also refused entry to a peace conference.

China factor

The South African stance is understood to be linked to the fact the government does not want to offend its Chinese counterpart, which sees the Dalai Lama as a separatist who campaigns for independence for his homeland, which China annexed in 1949.

The economic relationship between China and South Africa has grown rapidly in recent years, and both countries are members of the economic group known by the acronym Brics, which wants more recognition for emerging nations on the global stage.

However, many South Africans find the situation highly embarrassing and see the government’s position as one that betrays the country’s commitment to human rights.

The women's decision to withdraw from the event and to visit the Dalai Lama in his village in India instead comes after 14 Nobel peace laureates recently wrote a letter to South African president Jacob Zuma asking him to grant the Tibetan spiritual leader a visa.

“We are deeply concerned about the damage that will be done to South Africa’s international image by a refusal – or failure – to grant him a visa yet again,” the group said in a letter to Mr Zuma.

Among the 14 signatories to the letter were Northern Ireland politicians David Trimble and John Hume, according to local reports.

South African lobby group Sonke Gender Justice has commended the decision by the Nobel Women’s Initiative members, saying “we very much respect and applaud the women for choosing not to come and take a stand because we feel like it sends the right message on human rights”.

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille said at a council meeting yesterday that the event was going ahead. She said a number of Nobel laureates, including Archbishop Tutu, had written to all fellow Peace Prize winners urging them to attend the summit.