Dalai Lama' new representative in S. Africa

Nangsa Choedon will be the new representative of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in South Africa, an official said here Friday.

Choedon, currently serving as the Public Service Commission secretary of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) here, will replace Mingyur Dorje, a spokesperson for the Dalai Lama's office told IANS.

She will take charge April 2.

Insiders said the relationship between the Dalai Lama and South Africa has not been cordial for some time.

Two years ago, the spiritual leader had called off a trip to South Africa as it was "inconvenient" for that country's government to grant him a visa.

He was invited by fellow Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu to take part in celebrations to mark the archbishop's 80th birthday.

That was the second time in two years that the Dalai Lama's visit to South Africa was blocked, said aides of the Dalai Lama.

Later, Tutu travelled to this Himalayan town, where the Dalai Lama has been residing along with his followers, to meet him.

"I want to say to the Chinese government that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the most peace-loving person on this earth. I want to say to the Chinese government that the Dalai Lama has no army, he cannot command his people with guns, he's not a separatist," Tutu said at a public ceremony organised by the Tibetan government-in-exile on his visit Feb 10, 2012.

Seeking more autonomy for the people of Tibet, Tutu said: "Please, you leaders in Beijing, we beg you, allow Tibet to be what the constitution of the People's Republic of China commits. The constitution allows for autonomy and that is all His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his people want."

The Dalai Lama had earlier visited South Africa thrice - in 1996, 1999 and 2004.

The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since he fled Tibet during a failed uprising in 1959.