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China opposes Dalai Lama's visit to Idaho

By John Miller | AP

The Dalai Lama, gestures during a conference themed ‘World Peace and Heritage’ at the India Islamic cultural centre in New Delhi on 18 January 2009. Chinese pressure on organisers of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games prompted them to withdraw an invitation for the Dalai Lama to attend the opening ceremony.File photo/Reuters/B Mathur/India

Aides to the Dalai Lama said pressure brought by the Chinese government on organisers of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games prompted them to withdraw an invitation for the exiled Tibetan leader to attend.

The spiritual leader had been scheduled for the 7 February opening ceremony at the Idaho Centre in Nampa.

Special Olympics officials in Washington, D.C., previously said Chinese pressure didn’t play a role in the cancelled visit.

Lobsang Nyandak, a spokesman for the Dalai Lama’s office in New York, told the Associated Press the Chinese had threatened to shutter training centres for athletes with intellectual disabilities and to have Chinese athletes boycott the games, if the Dalai Lama attended.

After the threats, organisers suggested he skip the opening ceremony and instead watch events the final two days, 12 and 13 February. That wasn’t possible because of prior commitments in the United States and Germany, his aide said, and the original invitation was withdrawn.

Nyandak said his office attempted to work with games’ organisers and understood their concerns, but said the Dalai Lama was disappointed that pressure led to the changes.

Copyright © 2009 AP

Published in Idaho Press Tribune