Dalai Lama in Taipei as nephew says 'gag order' imposed

The Dalai Lama travelled on a high-speed train from the southern city of Kaohsiung after two days focused on the plight of communities devastated by last month's Typhoon Morakot.

The Dalai Lama's nephew, Khedroob Thondup, told AFP that Taiwan had directly requested the tour be kept low-profile.

"They put a gag order on him. Before he left India he was told not to say anything political and to curtail his activities," said Thondup, also a member of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile in India.

"This was conveyed to our office in New Delhi. He was told to cut down even religious activities. This is all because of pressure from Beijing," he said by telephone from India.

A Taiwan government official denied a gag order existed, saying the Dalai Lama's schedule was arranged by the foundation that represents the Tibetan spiritual leader on the island.

"The Dalai Lama's schedule in Taiwan is decided by his foundation, and the government fully respects its decision," Wang Yu-chi, spokesman for President Ma Ying-jeou, told AFP.

The Dalai Lama's five-day visit has triggered strong reactions from Beijing, which considers him a "splittist" fighting for Tibetan independence, in turn causing the island's leaders to worry publicly about the impact on China ties.