Dalai Lama's visit stirs protest in Taiwan
- Source: Global Times
- [08:50 September 01 2009]
- Comments
Taiwan aborigines display a protesting banner outside the hotel yesterday where the Dalai Lama is staying. Photo: AFP
By Zhang Lei and Ji Beibei
More than 100 Taiwanese gathered at the Taipei Train Station to protest the visit of the Dalai Lama, who arrived in Taipei Sunday night to begin his six-day trip to "comfort typhoon victims."
The Dalai Lama was escorted through the crowd by police amid protesters shouting, "Go home, Taiwan belongs to China," while waving posters, banners and Chinese flags, according to TVBS.
Similar protests included dozens of typhoon victims from Pingtung county who collected outside the hotel where the Dalai Lama was staying in Kaohsiung city early yesterday morning.
The protestors shouted and waved banners that read, "No Dalai Lama – Only food and beds wanted" and "(He) only talks – no fund-raising" to show their disapproval of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) invitation to the Dalai Lama to visit the island.
Arrangements were made by the DPP and Kaohsiung city government to visit victims, give lectures and hold a prayer ceremony, which was partially confirmed by the Dalai Lama Foundation.
Before the trip, the Dalai Lama claimed that he was invited by the Taiwanese people rather than any political group to appease the souls of victims.
The Kaohsiung Buddhist Association said Dalai's visit was "untimely and unnecessary" during a Buddhist prayer ceremony in Kaohsiung Sunday, as "they had already done a lot of relief work."
