By Emily Yearwood-Lee
VANCOUVER – Roads are blocked and secret service agents swarm his speaking venues wherever the Dalai Lama stops his motorcade in the United States.
Security during his 19-day visit to Canada is expected to be more low-key, but organizers here who once had concerns say they are satisfied with the level of protection.
The Dalai Lama has been assigned Level 4 security status by RCMP in Toronto, a degree below what would be given to George W. Bush or the Pope, said Gelek Gyaltong, director of security for the Toronto visit.
There won’t be road closures when he passes through, but in Toronto, the exiled Tibetan leader will travel in an RCMP-supplied limousine, receive personal protection, and there will be a 24-hour police presence outside his teaching venues and hotel, said Gyaltong.
Paramedics will also be on site, although the Dalai Lama is considered to be in good health.
“They want to make sure the response to any type of emergency can be handled in a very short period of time,” he said.
The Tibetan Toronto organizers will also set up metal detectors and private security officers will search people’s bags at his teaching venue.
The Dalai Lama arrives in Vancouver on Saturday and will spend the next three days delivering spiritual teachings and hobnobbing with fellow Nobel Peace Prize winners Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi, as well as actress Goldie Hawn, who will host a musical gala in his honour.
He then flies to Ottawa, where he will meet Prime Minister Paul Martin, along with some of the more than 150 MPs who voiced support for Canada playing a mediator role in negotiations between Tibet and China.
The longest part of his Canadian visit will be spent in Toronto, where he will perform the Kalachakra ritual for thousands of devotees. He leaves Canada on May 5.
Victor Chan, a key organizer of the Vancouver visit, also declined to go into detail about security during the West Coast visit, although he confirmed RCMP would be involved and that he is satisfied with what will be provided.
“I think in general Canada is more low-key as far as security is concerned with the United States,” he said “I’m not saying whether it’s good to have more or less, but this is Canada and they do things differently than the U.S.”
The RCMP have refused to comment on security arrangements for the visit.
Thubten Samdup, national president of the Canada Tibet Committee, said there were no threats during the Dalai Lama’s last visit 11 years ago.
But since then, there have been reports of fanatics and stones have been thrown at the spiritual leader’s motorcade.
“This time around we are a little bit more concerned because the Dalai Lama’s stature has been very up since 10 years ago and there are all kinds of people around and we are very concerned,” said Samdup.
While some followers of the Dalai Lama consider him a demigod, he is considered a separatist leader by the Chinese government.
Chan has travelled with the Tibetan leader in the United States and witnessed the secret service’s reaction when the famous monk’s motorcade arrives.
“He is giving a talk at a venue, for example, there may be over 100 secret service agents deployed,” said Chan.
“It’s a very tightly choreographed exercise,” he said. “Whereas if I go with him to India or Europe, it’s usually more relaxed.”
The Tibetan leader fled Chinese authorities in his Himalayan homeland in 1959. He set up a government-in-exile in India and since then has been working to secure greater autonomy for the territory.
Chinese government officials issued a stinging reprimand of Martin on Tuesday for agreeing to meet the Dalai Lama, albeit in a spiritual, rather than political, capacity.
They said Martin should consider Canada’s own unity struggles with Quebec separatists.
But Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said the Dalai Lama is not a threat and Canada will make its own decision on meeting him.
