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Let him in Now! No pass laws for the Dalai Lama – letters to the President and Cabinet, the Mayor of the City of Cape Town, and university Vice Chancellors

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Below are the contents of three letters sent by the civil society coalition, Let him in Now: No pass laws for the Dalai Lama!, to:

 

  1. President Zuma and all members of Cabinet;
  2. City of Cape Town Mayor, Patricia de Lille; and
  3. the Vice Chancellors of four universities – University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, Stelllenbosch University, and University of the Free State.

1. Open letter to President Zuma and all Cabinet members

30 September 2011

Open letter to President Zuma and all Cabinet members

 

  1. We are writing to you on behalf of many civil society organisations and individuals in South Africa. We are people who live and work in South Africa (SA) and elsewhere. We are committed to peace and non-violence. We believe in freedom of expression and free movement. We believe in the SA Constitution.
  2. We are writing to you in your capacity as Members of the Executive, as ANC members and in some cases ANC NEC members.
  3. When you took office as a Minister and Cabinet Member, you swore on oath to promote, respect and protect the values of the Constitution.
  4. We are therefore appealing to you to do exactly that in the matter of the visit of a spiritual religious leader, his Holiness the Dalai Lama, to South Africa, where he will attend the birthday celebrations of struggle hero and peace activist Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
  5. While such a decision ordinarily falls within the delegated authority framework (Immigration Act), the circumstances and history of this matter and the conduct of officials at DHA and DIRCO and others who have already blurred that delegated framework require that you as Cabinet members exercise your duties and obligations as an Executive and take a collective decision to endorse and permit the entry of the Dalai Lama to South Africa to attend birthday celebrations. Or else account to the public and Parliament why you refuse to do so.
  6. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of millions of people and irrespective of our or your religious beliefs we should not bar him entry into South Africa. He will be here to exchange ideas, views and experiences and attend the birthday of a life long friend of his. He is not a war criminal, nor sought after for international war crimes, nor is there a warrant of arrest issued for him by the ICC, nor has he ever been convicted of an offence –so according to our law,he fits the criteria for entry. In addition, morally, it would be wrong to prevent him entry again when in the past -on at least two occasions- our government has allowed him entry into South Africa.
  7. Should the entire Cabinet decide not to allow the Dalai Lama entry now and in the future on a non-state visit, we will seek to challenge that decision and/or conduct. Please note that even if one Minister is procedurally entrusted with this decision and matter, the final decision and eventual outcome is actually a decision of the entire SA government and it will reflect the view of the SA government, meaning that you will have to account for this decision and defend it legally and morally now and in the future to all South Africans and the rest of the world.
  8. We hope that you will urgently do the right thing, which is let the Dalai Lama in now.

Sincerely,

CIVIL SOCIETY COALITION TO ‘LET HIM IN – NO PASS LAWS FOR THE DALAI LAMA”

SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF THE COALITION BY:

1.    Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum

2.    Buddhist Practitioners South Africa

3.    SA Friends of Tibet

4.    Ndifuna Ukwazi

5.    South African Peace Alliance

6.    Cape Town Interfaith Initiative

7.    Reclaim Camissa Trust


2. Letter to the Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille

To: Mayor of Cape Town , Patricia de Lille

30 September 2011

Dear Mayor

RE: CAPE TOWN AS THE MAIN HOST CITY FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN VISIT OF THE DALAI LAMA

 

  1. We are writing to you on behalf of a number of civil society activists and organisations in South Africa.
  2. Irrespective of our own religious or other beliefs, as civil society, we respect all spiritual leaders. We respect the spiritual and historical and peaceful leadership of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and also the spiritual leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is the spiritual leader of at least 300 million people worldwide.
  3. We are writing to you to request that you share with the public the arrangements that City has made/will make to ensure that the Dalai Lama as a recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize is received with due respect and dignity if and when he is allowed to enter South Africa –since a large part of his visit will be spent in Cape Town to celebrate the 80th birthday of another Nobel Peace Prize recipient, peace activist and struggle hero, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
  4. As organisations and people who live and work in Cape Town (and who also pay taxes and rates) we expect that our Mayor and City will receive His Holiness the Dalai Lama with open and generous arms- as it has done before with other dignitaries and even international soccer officials.
  5. If the City has not made such plans or will not make such plans, kindly let the public know why not. We hope to hear from you as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

‘THE CIVIL SOCIETY COALITION TO LET THE DALAI LAMA IN TO SOUTH AFRICA’

Initial signatories:

1.    Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum

2.    Buddhist Practitioner Group RSA

3.    SA Friends of Tibet

4.    Ndifuna Ukwazi

5.    South African Peace Alliance

6.    Cape Town Interfaith Initiative

7.    Reclaim Camissa Trust


3. Letter to university Vice Chancellors (University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, Stelllenbosch University, and University of the Free State)

29 September 2011

Dear Vice-Chancellors,

RE: ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION: SOUTH AFRICA AND THE DALAI LAMA

 

  1. We are writing to you on behalf of a number of civil society activists and organisations in South Africa.
  2. We are sure that by now your institution is aware that the SA government- in relation to the application for entry into South Africa by his Holiness the Dalai Lama -is acting in a manner that we believe seeks to undermine the right to freedom of association, movement, academic freedom, information and sharing of ideas, and religion in South Africa.
  3. We are aware that at least two universities (including the Universities of the Western Cape and Stellenbosch) will be hosting or seeking to host the Dalai Lama in South Africa during the birthday celebrations of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu-where he will hopefully impart ideas and engage in the reciprocal exchange of knowledge and experiences.
  4. Irrespective of our own religious or other beliefs, as civil society, we respect all spiritual leaders. We respect the spiritual and historical and peaceful leadership of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and also the spiritual leadership of his Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is the spiritual leader of at least 6 million people. 
  5. We are of course embarrassed by the conduct of the SA government – which is reminiscent of Apartheid South Africa. We hope that you feel similarly.
  6. We are therefore writing to you to show your displeasure at the recent developments, and to urge your institution to act in solidarity with us in our pickets and protects and in our campaign. We are demanding that the President of our country act in a manner that promotes and respects the values in our Constitution by letting the Dalai Lama in to South Africa to attend all events associated with the 80th birthday celebration of peace activist and struggle hero Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
  7. We hope that you will also issue a public statement on this matter so that everyone in South Africa and elsewhere is aware of what your position is –as well as the position of your student body.

Sincerely,

CIVIL SOCIETY COALITION TO LET THE DALAI LAMA IN – NOW

 


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