Dharamsala, Jan. 23: In yet another incident of kowtowing under Chinese Pressure, the organizers of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games wrote off the Dalai Lama from this year’s games in Idaho, United States.
According to the Associated Press the representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New York has said the Chinese government put pressure on the organizers of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho to withdraw an invitation for the exiled Tibetan leader to attend the Feb. 7 opening ceremony.
Special Olympics officials in Washington, D.C., had previously said Chinese pressure didn’t play a role in the canceled visit.
Nyandak said China had threatened to shutter training centers for athletes with intellectual disabilities and to hold back the Chinese athletes at home if the Tibetan leader attended the games.
Nyandak told Associated Press the organizers suggested the Dalai Lama skip the opening ceremony and instead attend the events on the final two days, Feb. 12 and Feb. 13, which, he said, wasn’t possible due to engagements in the United States and Germany.
According to Nyandak, his office, which serves as a liaison for the Dalai Lama in the Americas, attempted to work with games’ organizers and understood their concerns. He said, according to AP, the Dalai Lama was disappointed that pressure led to the changes.
“Succumbing to pressures would mean we are encouraging the Chinese leaders,” Nyandak said in an interview. “Certainly, we were disappointed. His Holiness is always concerned about the inconvenience. He always tries to be careful not to put the organizer in any difficult situation. Therefore, we did insist upon keeping the original invitation. The alternative arrangement didn’t work.”
On Wednesday, a Special Olympics spokeswoman in Washington, D.C., denied the Dalai Lama’s invitation had been withdrawn as a result of Chinese pressure.
Kirsten Suto Seckler told The AP the invitation was still open, though she didn’t specify if it was for the opening ceremony or to attend events on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13. Seckler didn’t return multiple phone calls seeking comment on Thursday, though the Special Olympics issued a statement.
“We worked very hard to find an appropriate and meaningful role for His Holiness at the Games, but unfortunately were not able to do so,” the statement said. “We proactively informed Chinese government representatives about this invitation and respectfully listened to their concerns. However, we always acted independently and in the best interests of our athletes, their families and our volunteers around the world. We regret any misunderstanding about this situation and we have never doubted the good intentions of the Dalai Lama’s effort to support our vision.”
