Five weeks went by and the Dalai Lama had no choice but to cancel his trip to south Africa after authorities denied him a visa. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu had specially invited the spiritual leader to speak at an inaugural peace lecture on Tutu's 80th birthday tomorrow.
It is widely believed that the South African government felt pressurised to prohibit the spiritual leader from entering the country, for fear of jeopardising ties with China, a key trade partner. This act, described by some as “apartheid-like” discrimination, has resulted in widespread outcry.
The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since fleeing Tibet during a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. He accepts Chinese rule, but Beijing accuses him of being a separatist and routinely warns government leaders against meeting with him.
Loom, a new store in Parkhurst decided to poke fun at the situation with limited edition t-shirts, the profits of which will partly go to funding his future travel expenses to South Africa-- once it becomes a free country.
T-shirts are priced at R680 each and are available for order in sizes S-XL exclusively at Loom (Shop 22, Corner 4th and 10th Street, Parkhurst, Johannesburg / Tel: 011-447-4330).
www.loom.za.com
