The leaders met in Cape Town on 1996.
A global symbol of peace and reconciliation will not say goodbye to another global symbol of peace and reconciliation: the Dalai Lama, Tibetan spiritual leader, He is one of the great absentees from the massive ceremony that takes place in Johannesburg to say goodbye to former South African president Nelson Mandela.
Indeed, the Dalai Lama announced, through a spokesperson, who will not go to the South African's funeral, con el argumento de que es "logísticamente imposible en este momento".
His absence will be notable among the dozens of world leaders who come to the FNB football stadium.. ¿The reason? It is not specific. But it relives uncomfortable political episodes for South Africa.
The Dalai Lama was denied a visa to South Africa twice, in 2009 and 2011, which generated the indignation and protest of some important figures in the country –like Mandela himself- as well as around the world.
Denied visas
The first time this happened in South Africa was in 2009.
The Tibetan spiritual leader was invited as one of the keynote speakers at the Peace Conference to be held in March of that year., and in which several other Nobel Peace Prize winners participated., but the government in Pretoria did not accept his visa request.
According to government spokesman Thabo Masebe at the time, They did not want to divert attention from the World Cup 2010 with the visit of the Dalai Lama.
Some of the participants in the conference and friends of the Tibetan spiritual leader, like former president F. W. de Klerk, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela himself publicly criticized the visa denial by the South African government..
To know the news, el Dalai Lama lamentó la muerte de Mandela a quien se refirió como "amigo".
in 2011 A new incident with the Dalai Lama's visa generated similar outrage.
This time the invitation was to the celebration of the 80 Tutu years, event to which recognized figures committed to peace and freedom were invited.
The South African government visa office in New Delhi, India, delayed the process until the Dalai Lama eventually withdrew the nomination.
Archbishop Tutu reacted harshly against the government and condemned the fact that his friend the Dalai Lama was again denied entry to the country..
En una entrevista a la BBC Tutu dijo "es increíble que semejante persona tan amable sea rechazada en nuestro país".
Of delays and the business partner
in 2012 A court in South Africa declared illegal the actions that led to the denial of the Dalai Lama's visa, and determined that pressure from China - the country's main trading partner- had been key in the administrative delays that prevented the Tibetan's visit.
"Como Martin Luther King, (Mandela) He supported Ganhdi's non-violent principles very seriously.. So I'm one of the admirers"
Dalai Lama
According to the AFP news agency, Tutu praised the court's decision and said he hoped to invite the Dalai Lama to South Africa again..
"Espero verlo de nuevo pronto, tal vez lo invite a celebrar mi cumpleaños número 90", assured.
The Buddhist spiritual leader had already visited South Africa three times before being rejected in 2009 and 2011. in 1996 was received by Mandela when he was president.
The Dalai Lama lives in the city of Dharamsala, India, from 1959, after an independence uprising in Tibet against China. Beijing accuses him of promoting separatism and, to try to neutralize it, He tries to limit his travels around the world, warning governments that open their doors to him that doing so will affect bilateral relations..
"Como Martin Luther King, He supported Ganhdi's non-violent principles very seriously.. Así que yo soy uno de los admiradores", declared the Dalai Lama last week, after learning of Mandela's death.
