Furore over Tibetan flag hoisting during Dalai Lama's visit to New Zealand

Auckland, Dec 5(ANI): Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama's visit to New Zealand has created ripples as a controversy has risen over the Tibetan flag flying briefly on poles outside Auckland's Langham Hotel.

The Dalai Lama was holding talks with Labour leader Phil Goff in the 3500 dollars-a-night Royal Suite of the hotel.

According to reports, the flag was quickly taken down after Langham authorities claimed that the hotel policy was that non-New Zealand flags should fly only on official Government-hosted visits.

Langham duty manager Jabez Lobo said that he did not know how it had come to be hoisted in the first place.

Meanwhile, Thuten Kesang, the chairman of the Friends of Tibet organisation, which supplied the flag was unhappy about the hotel's decision to pull the flag down.

"His holiness is the head of the Tibetan people and I think it's important that we show some respect by flying the flag. I can't see any reason why we couldn't fly the flag. It's not harming anybody, and this is a free country," The Dominion Post quoted Kesang, as saying.

Speaking about the flag furore, Labour leader Phil Goff said that he knew nothing about it. (ANI)