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The Cambodian government will not invite the Dalai Lama to attend the world religion conference to be held later this year in Phnom Penh, local media reported Thursday.
"We can't invite the Dalai Lama because our policy doesn't allow us to do that," Chhorm Eam, secretary of state for the Ministry of Cults and Religion, was quoted as saying. He reaffirmed that Cambodia follows Beijing's one-China policy.
He said that Cambodia has asked China to send its delegates to attend the third World Buddhist Conference, scheduled to be held in Cambodia in December.
Delegates from China's Taiwan and Hong Kong have been also invited to the conference, but Taiwan will be prohibited from raising its flag.
Hong Kong will fly the Chinese flag, while Taiwan will be allowed only to raise the "universal Buddhist flag," he said.
The Buddhism conference is expected to draw 1,500 participants from 16 Asian countries. Participants will spend two days in Phnom Penh and two days in Siem Reap.
( August 9, 2002)
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