Taiwan rules out Dalai's third visit

The time is not opportune for a third visit by the Dalai Lama to Taiwan, a senior island official said yesterday.

Kao Su-po, the "minister of the Mongolian and Tibetan affairs commission", told lawmakers that security officials had evaluated the situation and come to the conclusion that this was not the right time.

His comments came shortly after the Association of Taiwan Journalists offered the Dalai Lama an invitation to visit.