By Hwang Si-young
Rep. Lee Ke-jin of the opposition Grand National Party urged the government to permit the Dalai Lama to visit Korea, criticizing the government’s position for fear of a diplomatic friction with China.
The 66-year-old Tibetan leader has been invited by a civic group to accept the “Manhae Peace Prize” here next molnth but the government has not said yet whether it will approve entry.
“Amid international tensions surrounding North Korea’s nuclear standoff and six-party talks, I fully recognize that the government is pressured by the prospect of the Tibet spiritual leader’s visit to Korea,” Lee said in a press release.
“Nevertheless, in light of human rights and peace as acclaimed by the government and the Uri Party, a more resolute approach is needed here,” he added.
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, who fled to India decades ago to escape Chinese rule, has long sought genuine autonomy for his homeland, a land that China considers to be an integral part of its territory.
