Taiwan’s Legislative Speaker backs His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to Taiwan

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, September 6: Taiwan’s Legislative Speaker, Su Jia-chyuan has invited the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Taiwan to grace and address its Parliament.

Speaker Su expressed his warm welcome for the Dalai Lama to deliver a speech at the Legislative Yuan, saying he welcomes anyone who will fight for democracy and freedom, according to a report on focustiawan.tw, Sept 6.

Taiwan’s Lagislative Speaker’s statement follows a similar official invitation extended to His Holiness to visit Taiwan and address its Parliament by a ten-member delegation of Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT) at a press conference held on Sept 5 in Dharamsala.

The visiting delegates of HRNTT that included two Taiwanese legislators, Kolas Yotaka and Freddy Lim also had an audience with the Tibetan spiritual leader and met with leaders of various Tibetan NGOs based in Dharamsala.

When asked about a lawmaker’s invitation for the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader to visit Taiwan and deliver a speech at the legislature, Su, Taiwan’s Legislative Speaker remarked, “The Legislative Yuan very much welcomes those who facilitate the promotion of democracy and freedom”.

The Dalai Lama’s last trip to Taiwan was in 2009 when he came to the country to pray for survivors and victims of the deadly Typhoon Morakot.