Visa denial like bullying: Dalai Lama

Breaking his silence for the first time over visa denial to him by the South African government owing to Chinese pressure, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Thursday said it was like "bullying".

"The treatment by the South African government is like bullying a humble person who has no protection," the Nobel Peace laureate said in his 15-minute address here.

"They are protection," he said, pointing towards fellow laureates Iran's Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams of the US, who were present at a function here to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of the Dalai Lama's Nobel Peace Prize.

The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in Dharamsala, had applied for a visa to South Africa Aug 27 to attend the 14th World Summit of Nobel Peace laureates to be held in Cape Town Oct 13 to 15.

This was the third time in five years that the Dalai Lama has called off his visit to South Africa.

In 1989, the Tibetan spiritual leader won the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for Tibet.