March 4, 2010 By Supalak Ganjanakhundee and Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation
Jetsun Pema, younger sister of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and her husband Tenpa Tsering, were denied an entry visa to Thailand due to fears their political message during a cultural event would upset "another country," the Foreign Ministry said yesterday - presumably meaning China.
Jetsun Pema, the younger sister of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and her husband Tenpa Tsering, were denied an entry visa to Thailand due to fears their political message during a cultural event would upset "another country," the Foreign Ministry said yesterday - presumably meaning China.
Jetsun Pema was supposed to be in Thailand from March 5-7 to join the Tibetan spirituality, art and culture event entitled "From the Himalayas to the Chao Phya River" hosted at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. She was scheduled to speak on Saturday on Buddhist education for Tibetan schools in exile, and about her book "Tibet: My story".
The pair's request for an entry visa was rejected as Thailand did not want to have any political difficulties with another concerned country, said the Foreign Minister's secretary, Chavanond Intarakomalyasut.
"We don't have any problem with cultural and art events from Tibet, but wanted to reserve our right to reject any politically related issue which might affect good relations with another country," he said, without naming the country.
A diplomatic source said officials from the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok had lobbied Thai autho-rities to block the entire event. A compromise was reached to retain only the cultural and arts sections of |the event after negotiations with |the organiser, the Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation.
Social critic Sulak Sivaraksa slammed Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya for the visa refusal, accusing the Thai government of caving in to pressure from China.
"We have allowed China to dictate to us [about whom to allow into the Kingdom and whom not to]. Four Chinese nationals were also recently arrested while protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy [in Bangkok] and are soon to be deported", he said.
Surasi Kosolnawin, chairman of the co-sponsor Sathirakoses-Naga-pradipa Foundation, personally lobbied Kasit but to no avail, he said.
Sulak claimed that Kasit told Surasi he did not want China to be upset with Thailand, now that both Cambodia and Burma are already upset with the Kingdom. He told [Surasi] that Cambodia and Burma already hated him.
Sulak urged Thailand to follow the US in handling the Tibetan issue and cited a recent meeting between US President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama as an example.
Dubbed the "Mother of Tibet" by Tibetan People's Deputies in exile, Jetsun Pema, 70, has played a significant role in the Tibetan political movement. She became the first woman minister in the Tibetan government-in-exile. She has focused her work on education and received many world-famous awards for her work in education and peace, including the Unesco Medal in 1999.
Jetsun Pema played the role of her own mother in "Seven Years in Tibet", a 1997 movie about the young Dalai Lama.
Jetsun Pema, the younger sister of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and her husband Tenpa Tsering, were denied an entry visa to Thailand due to fears their political message during a cultural event would upset "another country," the Foreign Ministry said yesterday - presumably meaning China.
Jetsun Pema was supposed to be in Thailand from March 5-7 to join the Tibetan spirituality, art and culture event entitled "From the Himalayas to the Chao Phya River" hosted at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. She was scheduled to speak on Saturday on Buddhist education for Tibetan schools in exile, and about her book "Tibet: My story".
The pair's request for an entry visa was rejected as Thailand did not want to have any political difficulties with another concerned country, said the Foreign Minister's secretary, Chavanond Intarakomalyasut.
"We don't have any problem with cultural and art events from Tibet, but wanted to reserve our right to reject any politically related issue which might affect good relations with another country," he said, without naming the country.
A diplomatic source said officials from the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok had lobbied Thai autho-rities to block the entire event. A compromise was reached to retain only the cultural and arts sections of |the event after negotiations with |the organiser, the Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation.
Social critic Sulak Sivaraksa slammed Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya for the visa refusal, accusing the Thai government of caving in to pressure from China.
"We have allowed China to dictate to us [about whom to allow into the Kingdom and whom not to]. Four Chinese nationals were also recently arrested while protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy [in Bangkok] and are soon to be deported", he said.
Surasi Kosolnawin, chairman of the co-sponsor Sathirakoses-Naga-pradipa Foundation, personally lobbied Kasit but to no avail, he said.
Sulak claimed that Kasit told Surasi he did not want China to be upset with Thailand, now that both Cambodia and Burma are already upset with the Kingdom. He told [Surasi] that Cambodia and Burma already hated him.
Sulak urged Thailand to follow the US in handling the Tibetan issue and cited a recent meeting between US President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama as an example.
Dubbed the "Mother of Tibet" by Tibetan People's Deputies in exile, Jetsun Pema, 70, has played a significant role in the Tibetan political movement. She became the first woman minister in the Tibetan government-in-exile. She has focused her work on education and received many world-famous awards for her work in education and peace, including the Unesco Medal in 1999.
Jetsun Pema played the role of her own mother in "Seven Years in Tibet", a 1997 movie about the young Dalai Lama.
6 comments:
Almost all of Asian countries are bowing to China. King Bhumibol had dual citizenship of Thai and American, but did it make any different? Nop.
King Bhumibol is dying and he has been just a puppet only. Thai royal family members are worried that their fates may be like the Romanov Dynasty in Russia. They already sent billion USD and treasure to oversea banks and ready to take off including Abhisit himself. Thailand will be soon fallen to Socialist and it has to be, since Bhumibol family keep all 35 Billion USD for themselve. Bhumibol's wife, Sirikit has more diamond and gold than Queen Elizabeth or other Queen on earth.
The criminals will find the way to brink her into Cambodia soon by paying HS 1 billion dollars.
Anonymous, you are an absolutely bullshitter!!! Don't even try to bark if you don't have accurate informations and knowledges. Thai people know how much the king has done the best things for them for over 60 years.
Shame on you dumbass!!
King Bhumibol developed argiculture and education in Thailand more than 60 yrs until Thailand is the largest rice exporter in the world. The country is so rich, if compared with neighbors. He protects the country from high rate corruption by greedy politicians. His family also follows his foot steps. Thailand will be stronger because the king 's already constructed the country to go on by his heir.
From A Thai citizen
King Bhumibol is our Thai great King who has done so much to our country. Those who claim that he has so much money and sent oversea, is that they want to label the king and to diminish the monarchy. Our king is down to earth and want for the good for his people, the King has the great visions and has worked on them. He, with the hard working people have work to establish many projects that many Thai have benefits without knowingthat , it was His MAjesty the King who with his working people created them.Unfortunate, it is all those who are greedy and politically greed not only financial greed but also power greed. For those who have the opportunities to do things for the country, what have they chosed to do first; grabing all the financial opportunities to get rich and sent oversea. I have not seen any goevernmental people who really work hard for the people got rich financially.These are the people whom I admire very much , who work for and with the King. They know the King is not there to get rich but to give and ready to work for the long term solution. Agriculture is one of the prominent example that we can see , the King wants his people to be healthy and encourage through his net work in teaching the organic culture to all Thais, supporting the research. If you do some study of how Thailnd becomes one of the food provider countries in the world, you can see , how hard and endurace that our Thai King and His people who see his visons work with the King have got us to today.
There is no place like home. How much the King loves his country and people, if you know what he said, "how can I leave you , since you , my people do not leave me" . My translation is not that good, I hope , for those who label him, our beloved King, stop the act of what you are doing now. I would say that, those who said negative things about our king are those who, themselve, are doing it.
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