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South Africa 'blocks' Dalai Lama South Africa bans Dalai Lama trip
(about 2 hours later)
The South African government has defended its decision to deny entry to the Dalai Lama, amid charges it is bowing to pressure from China. South Africa has denied the Dalai Lama a visa to attend a peace conference linked to the 2010 Football World Cup, which the country is hosting.
The Tibetan spiritual leader was due to attend a peace meeting in Johannesburg this week, along with fellow Nobel laureates Desmond Tutu and FW de Klerk. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has pulled out of the meeting in protest and branded the decision "disgraceful".
But the authorities have not granted an entry visa, saying the invitation did not come from official channels. A government spokesman has denied suggestions that the ban was a result of Chinese pressure.
Archbishop Tutu has threatened to pull out of the conference over the issue. He said he did not want anything to distract from South Africa's hosting of the World Cup.
Speculation is rife in the local media that the government caved in to pressure from Beijing. The Johannesburg conference is intended to discuss football's role in fighting racism and xenophobia.
The Tibetan spiritual leader was due to attend the meeting, along with fellow Nobel laureates, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Tutu and FW de Klerk later this week.
Mr de Klerk is considering his position, while Mr Mandela's position is not clear.
'Hypocrisy'
Presidential spokesman Thabo Masebe said the conference organisers had not consulted them before inviting the Dalai Lama.
"The South African government does not have a problem with the Dalai Lama," he told the local media.
"But at this time the whole world will be focused on the country as hosts of the 2010 World Cup. We want the focus to remain on South Africa.
"A visit now by the Dalai Lama would move the focus from South Africa onto issues in Tibet."
Speculation has also been rife in the media that South Africa does not want to jeopardise its bilateral relations with China, one of its major trading partners.
"The Chinese government would not have been happy had we let him come," an unnamed government official was quoted as saying by Business Day newspaper."The Chinese government would not have been happy had we let him come," an unnamed government official was quoted as saying by Business Day newspaper.
"We would not do anything to upset the relationship we have with China," the official said. "We would not do anything to upset the relationship we have with China," the official added.
But a government spokesman said the Dalai Lama was not on the official list of invitees to the Johannesburg conference, which was organised in connection with the 2010 Football World Cup. But this was denied by Mr Masebe.
"As a government we have not extended an invitation, and therefore the issue of a visa does not arise," foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa told AFP news agency. Beijing says the Dalai Lama is pushing for Tibetan independence, and has stirred up unrest in the region.
China accuses the Dalai Lama of leading the fight for Tibet's independence. He says he just wants more autonomy for the region. But the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 during an uprising against Chinese rule, has said he only wants limited autonomy for his homeland.
South African opposition leader Patricia de Lille has accused the government of hypocrisy, and says the episode shows that there is no consistency in the country's foreign policy, reports BBC Southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles.
The Dalai Lama has visited the country on two previous occasions, in 1996 and 2004.