More call for disruption-free event

The Star, Monday April 21, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: More Buddhist groups have come up to say that the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games torch relay in Kuala Lumpur today should not be disrupted.

The Vajrayana Buddhist Council of Malaysia urged its member organisations and other Tibetan Buddhist Societies and Centres in Malaysia and the public not to cause disruptions.

Its president Eddie Wong Eng Tat said this was consistent with the Dalai Lama’s advice.

“We pray that the Beijing Olympics will be a peaceful and most-successful Olympic Games in its series and achieves the Olympic Charter goal in contributing towards the building of a healthy, peaceful and better world through sports,” he said in a statement.

A Tibetan monk exiled in India, Chokhor Rimpoche, said his group of 10 Tibetan monks on a religious visit in Malaysia would not hold any protest.

“We urge the Chinese Government to hold dialogues with the Dalai Lama to resolve conflicts,” he said at the Multi Faiths Prayers for Tibet: Olympics Torch Relay in KL and Olympics 2008 event yesterday.

A good platform with the involvement of a third party was needed to facilitate the talks, he said.

Buddhist chief high priest of Malaysia K. Sri Dhammaratana Maha Nayaka Thera also agreed that talks should be held.

Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship chairman Dr Amir Farid Isahak said history showed that fighting only created more problems.

Torch relay runner Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir said she hoped there would be no disruption but acknowledged that people had the right to express themselves.