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Lama plans second Taiwan visit

TAIPEI: Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is considering making a second visit to Taiwan, the local daily Liberty Times reported on Monday. Such a trip would almost certainly irk China.

The Dalai Lama, regarded by Tibetan Buddhists as a god-king, visited Taiwan in March 1997, his first trip to Chinese territory since fleeing his Himalayan homeland with thousands of followers in 1959 after an anti-Chinese uprising failed.

"The Dalai Lama is planning to visit Taiwan again, and this time he would stay longer to increase understanding between Taiwan and Tibetan people," Sonam Topgyal, the head minister of Tibet's government-in-exile, was quoted as saying.

China assailed the Dalai Lama's 1997 visit to Taiwan, saying it was an act of collusion aimed at severing both Tibet and Nationalist-ruled Taiwan from China.

The plan for the second visit envisaged the Dalai Lama visiting the island for a joint Taiwan-Tibetan religious activity, Sonam told the paper.

This would give the Dalai Lama an opportunity to meet newly elected Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, he added.

Sonam said that after the Dalai Lama's 1997 visit to Taiwan, China had offered to hold talks on Tibetan autonomy with the spiritual leader, on condition he make no more visits to Taiwan and that Tibet recognise the island as a part of China.

Sonam said the Dalai Lama felt he had no right to decide the future for the people of Taiwan, and had only committed himself to not visiting the island.

But Beijing had made no move to talk to the Dalai Lama, who later decided it was meaningless to keep such a commitment, he added.

Sonam told the paper that if he was invited he would gladly visit Taiwan and attend the inauguration of Chen, regardless how strong the pressure from China might be.

He said he was happy Taiwan had completed its presidential election despite Chinese threats.

The Tibetan Cultural Association in Taipei was not available for comment.

Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party espouses independence from China and was seen by many as Beijing's least favoured candidate, swept to power in the March 18 elections, ending more than five decades of Nationalist rule on the island.

The exiled Republic of China government has held Taiwan since its 1949 civil war loss of the mainland to Chinese communists. Taipei maintains that Taiwan should eventually reunite with China, though only after Beijing adopts full democracy.-Reuters