|
DJ Dalai Lama Accuses PETA Of Altering Letter About KFC
.
NEW DELHI (AP)--The office of the Dalai Lama said Friday an animal rights group misrepresented the nature of a request by the spiritual leader that fast-food chain KFC not open an outlet in his homeland, Tibet.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, released a document Thursday from the Dalai Lama asking that the Louisville, Kentucky-based restaurant chain , a unit of YUM! Restaurants (YUM), "abandon its plan to open restaurants in Tibet."
But the Dalai Lama's heading on the document, "APPEAL," was changed to "Dear Mr. Novak," a reference to CEO David Novak of Yum! Restaurants, the parent company of KFC. PETA then issued a news release saying the Dalai Lama had "dispatched a letter" to the company.
The rest of the text of the Dalai Lama's appeal was unchanged.
The Dalai Lama's secretary, Tenzin Geyche Tethong, said in a letter faxed Friday to Ingrid Newkirk of PETA in Norfolk, Virginia, that "We strongly object to your changing the nature of the appeal without seeking our approval."
Tethong said in the letter, made available to The Associated Press, that the Dalai Lama's office had "intentionally sent
.. a general appeal," and had rejected a PETA request that a letter be addressed to Novak.
In Louisville on Thursday, Yum! spokesman Jonathan Blum said the company has no current plans to enter Tibet.
On the Net:
PETA Web site: http://www.peta.org/
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
06-25-04 0942ET- - 09 42 AM EDT 06-25-04
**Brought to you by Scottrader, a product of Scottrade Inc**
|
WORLD 
