Dalai Lama cancels Botswana visit ‘due to exhaustion’By Lakeland Staff Writer on November 4, 2018
In a statement late on Friday the Dalai Lama’s office said his doctors had advised him to avoid undertaking long journeys for the next few weeks. (PTI Photo) Related News
Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has cancelled a planned visit to Botswana because of exhaustion, his office said, a move that is likely to be welcomed by China, a major investor in the African country. The Dalai Lama had been expected to address a human rights conference in the capital Gaborone on Aug. 17-19 and meet Botswana’s president during the trip.
Visits by the Dalai Lama to foreign countries infuriate China, and it stepped up warnings to Botswana last month, with its Foreign Ministry spokesman demanding “the relevant country earnestly respect China’s core interests and make the correct political decision on this matter”.
Botswana reacted by saying that as a sovereign state, it retained the right to permit anyone to enter the country.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, has long been at loggerheads over Tibet with China, which brands him a reactionary and separatist. The Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, says he seeks greater rights, including religious freedom, and true autonomy for Tibetans.
In a statement late on Friday the Dalai Lama’s office said his doctors had advised him to avoid undertaking long journeys for the next few weeks.
“During the past few weeks, His Holiness has found that carrying out his activities has left him unusually tired,” it said.
“Although he had been eagerly looking forward to visiting Gaborone … His Holiness has reluctantly had to concede that his 82-year old body was telling him to rest.”
China’s fast-growing demand for raw materials has made it one of the biggest investors in Africa and its largest trade partner. Chinese state-owned companies have been awarded contracts to build roads, dams, power stations and airports in Botswana.
https://lakelandobserver.com/dalai-lama-cancels-botswana-visit-due-to-exhaustion/235838/----------------------
If you notice, Dalai Lama rarely cancels trips to countries that can give large donations, have potential sponsorships or countries related to countries that can give funds. If it is to poor countries, it is usually cancelled and when cancelled, no big deal is made of it. Perhaps this is his secretaries and assistants who do this and makes the Dalai Lama look bad.The richest country Dalai Lama can travel to is China. They have all the wealth he and his cronies need. Too bad Dalai Lama's begging to return to China has fallen on deaf ears. Since Dalai Lama's group always says China funds the Shugden groups and Shugden groups are rich, then there is plenty of more money for Dalai Lama's cronies to be had in China if they make friends. They should make friends with China because Tibet is in China.
Countries like Botswana never donate substantial amounts and is always looking for money from rich countries therefore the Dalai Lama going there will get no money from the people or their government. But the Dalai Lama should send Lamas and monks there to Botswana to spread the word of Buddhism. The people there are ripe and intelligent. But if you notice Tibetan Buddhist lamas never go to poor countries to spread the word of Buddha. They dare not endure hardships.
Tibetan government in exile will never organize themselves to send people to Africa to teach Buddhism. They only send lamas to places where there is plenty of money. Observe and research for yourself.
