DALAI LAMA; MEETING PRINCESS DISKUL; MR. SANYA; GROUPS OF BUDDHISTS.




Initials PW/VS/JH/PC



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Background: THE DALAI LAMA, TIBET'S EXILED RELIGIOUS LEADER, TOUCHED DOWN AT BANGKOK AIRPORT ON MONDAY ON HIS WAY TO OPEN AN EXHIBITION OF TIBETAN ART TREASURES IN TOKYO. AT THE AIRPORT, HE WAS SURROUNDED BY WELCOMING BUDDHISTS AND DURING HIS 30-MINUTES STOP, MET THAI BUDDHIST LEADERS.

THE DALAI LAMA'S VISIT TO JAPAN WILL BE HIS FIRST TRIP TO ANY COUNTRY OTHER THAN INDIA OR THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. SINCE HE FLED TIBET IN 1959, HE HAS BEEN LIVING IN EXILE IN THE HIMALAYAS OF INDIA.

THE RELIGIOUS LEADER LEFT INDIA ON MONDAY, TOUCHED DOWN IN BANGKOK, AND ARRIVED IN TOKYO LATER THE SAME DAY. HE WILL BE IN JAPAN ON HIS UNOFFICIAL VISIT FOR TWO WEEKS.

HE IS THERE AS THE GUEST OF THE BUDDHIST EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION.

DURING HIS STOPOVER IN BANGKOK, HE MET MR. SANYA DHAMMASAK, PRESIDENT OF THE BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION AND PRINCESS PISMAI DISKUL, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD FELLOWSHIP OF BUDDHISTS. A TIBETAN MONK WHO HAD LIVED IN THAILAND, TUBSTEN KARL SARNG, WAS AMONG THOSE WHO GREETED HIM AND HE SPOKE TO THEM ALL WITH THE AID OF AN INTERPRETER.