Khama doubles-down on Beijing attacks
Staff Writer | Friday August 18, 2017 16:12
In recent months, China and Gaborone have exchanged veiled, direct attacks and counter-attacks, as the Oriental giant has accused Botswana of violating a policy in which China views the Dalai Lama’s activities as secessionist. Botswana has, however, argued that the invitation to the Dalai Lama was made by a private organisation and is in line with the country’s sovereign right to open its doors to whomever it wishes.
The Dalai Lama withdrew from his planned visit on Saturday citing exhaustion, in a move that broke the impasse between the two countries. The spiritual leader had been due to attend a conference on Botho. Yesterday at the conference, however, Khama could not resist taking pot shots at China over the issue. “I’m sure you are all as disappointed as I am that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was at the last minute unable to travel to be here in the interests of his health and wellness.
I’m sure you join me in wishing him a full and speedy recovery and it remains my hope that upon his ability to travel internationally, he will visit Botswana in the not-too distant future. This I have communicated to His Holiness,” Khama said to rapturous applause from the conference delegates.
Khama said he was organising a conference of global Nobel Peace Prize laureates for Gaborone and would invite the Dalai Lama to attend. “I’m working on hosting a summit of Nobel Peace laureates here in Botswana and to this end, I hope His Holiness will be able to come to Botswana then,” he said.
In his closing remarks, Khama quoted a biblical verse some believe may also have been aimed at Beijing.
“To those who seek to frustrate democracy, freedom and justice which is everyone’s birthright whichever part of the world you are from, let me end with the words of Jesus Christ,” Khama said. “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hurt you and pray for them that despitefully use and persecute you.” Ahead of the conference, Khama gave an interview to a local weekly in which he accused Beijing of attempting to intimidate and pressure him into turning the Dalai Lama away.
“They (Chinese officials) spoke to anybody under the sun to try undermine this government. They were using time to get to Ministers, Members of Parliament and my own relatives, everybody you can think of to try and prevent the Dalai Lama coming here,” he told the Botswana Guardian. Under its ‘One-China’ policy, Beijing views any country that welcomes the Dalai Lama as a supporter of the Oriental giant’s break-up. The Dalai Lama has led a campaign for the secession of his homeland, Tibet, a north China region where some have historically agitated for separation from mainland China.