The Chinese are forcing their will upon Peace Talks

URGENT APPEAL: SAFT TO ANC

PRESS RELEASE
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24 MARCH 2009/ AFTERNOON: STATEMENT BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN FRIENDS OF TIBET ON THE SA GOVERNMENT’S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT H.H. DALAI LAMA WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ENTRY INTO SOUTH AFRICA UNTIL AFTER THE 2010 WORLD CUP EVENT.

Having been apprised of the SA government’s decision not to allow H.H. Dalai Lama to visit South Africa until after the 2010 World Cup, the South African Friends of Tibet notes the following:

1. We appeal to the South African government to recognize that, in barring H.H. Dalai Lama from visiting South Africa in a manner which directly associates this globally unpopular action with the 2010 World Cup, a vast opportunity for using the World Cup as a stage for international Tibet support, including worldwide boycotts and other forms of protest is unnecessarily created.
2. We, as a South African Tibet support group, have assiduously avoided any reference to using the FIFA World Cup as a platform for Tibet-related support and demonstrations, and would prefer that these issues be kept separate. We do not want to see the World Cup hosted by South Africa compromised by human rights issues, as happened with the Beijing Olympics. In this regard we have already rejected two proposals to align ourselves with a campaign of this nature.
3. We therefore appeal to government to modify its stance, and to issue an open ubuntu invitation to H.H. Dalai Lama to visit this country at his earliest convenience.
4. We remind government of the strong international support for Tibet and the person of H.H. Dalai Lama, a support base which includes numbers of effective Tibet Support Groups, as well as other powerful human rights NGO’s concerned from time to time with the Tibet Issue.
5. We have no doubt that creating any connection between the 2010 World Cup event and an adverse stance by the SA Government towards H.H. Dalai Lama will result in demonstrations, boycotts and other negative publicity for the 2010 event from numberless international lobbyists.
6. As we are extremely reluctant to see this premier soccer event becoming the negative focal point of Tibet-related support worldwide, we feel duty-bound to issue this timely statement

The Committee and Members of the South African Friends of Tibet.