Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg has sent a letter to Mark Rosenshield who is responsible for the Welsh Affairs office in the US Embassy concerning a shameful decision not to allow Arfon Gwilym to enter the country to take part in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This is because of a criminal record he acquired as a result of his involvement in campaigns connected with Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg.Dafydd Lewis, speaking on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg said:"Arfon Gwilym has played a key role in the struggle for the future of the Welsh language and it is a matter of great shame, that he is because of this banned from going to the United States of America. Not only has he been a prominent language campaigner but his efforts to promote the folk singing tradition in Wales has been outstanding. Refusing him entry into the United States would be equivalent to the British government refusing Martin Luther King entry into Britain in the 1960's."Click here to read a copy of the letter (PDF)