August 21, 2010

CHINA, INDIA AND NEPAL: ENTANGLED IN UNRESOLVING TIBETAN ISSUE

Posted by The Himalayan Voice:
[It becomes natural for the Dalai Lama to see Tibet, ‘real autonomous’, if not independent at least like Bhutan,  in his lifetime before making departure from this world. As China has secured second slot in the world economy; it is not unnatural for the Dalai Lama to speak for the better care of the Tibetan people from the leaders in Beijing. Tweeting two times already recently, he has shown his eagerness to resolve the issue of Tibetan autonomy in which he hopes to “build up a big family that enables Chinese and Tibetans to coexist in a friendly fashion over 1,000 years, as before,” and all ethnic groups in China “coexist amicably with each other on the principle of equality.” But China does not seem to be prepared to listen to it. And while India digs deep in its Rothang Pass, China also moves new advanced long-range CSS-5 missiles close to the Indian border. On the other hand, fleeing Tibetans mostly get arrested in Nepal.  And some Constituent Assembly members of Nepal recently met with the Dalai Lama against which the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu lodged its protest. Now a developing scenario is that the Indian Prime Minister, Man Mohan Singh, has also met with the Dalai Lama.  The Tibetan freedom issue comes up, in the front again.  The spiritual leader rejects the concept of a so-called “Greater Tibet,” which he said was Beijing's propaganda. “We never advocated ‘Greater Tibet.’ That is a label put on us by the Chinese Communist Party’s Department of the United Front,” the Dalai Lama says.]

CHINA'S OBJECTION TO MEETING BETWEEN INDIAN PM AND THE DALAI LAMA NOT UNUSUAL

Phayul [Saturday, August 21, 2010 ]

By Kalsang Rinchen

The Dalai Lama visits Jispa, a remote region of Himalchal Pradesh, India
on Aug 19, 2010 more photos
Dharamsala, August 21 – China has objected to a recent meeting between the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, reported Times of India. China has conveyed its opposition to the meeting through diplomatic channels.

However, the New Delhi based representative of the Tibetan leader told IANS that there was nothing unusual about the meeting between the two leaders on August 11 saying it was a courtesy call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to thank him for the hospitality shown in the last five decades. "He has been living in India for the past 50 years. There was nothing special about the meeting. He thanked the prime minister for good care India has taken of him during this period," Kalon Tempa Tsering, was quoted as saying.

This was the first meeting between the two since the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) returned to power over a year ago.

"He met Vice-President Hamid Ansari a year ago. Foreign secretaries have visited Dharamsala to meet Dalai Lama," he said.

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao called on the Dalai Lama at his residence here last month.

Tsering said there was nothing unusual in China's criticism. "The moment he opens his mouth, they start criticising him," he said.

China last year objected to the Tibetan leader’s visit to the Indian border state of Arunachal Pradesh which China claims as its territory and refers to as “Southern Tibet”. The Indian Prime Minister defended his government’s position to allow the Tibetan leader’s visit saying he was India’s guest, and that he had the right to visit anywhere in India.

China regularly warns world leaders against meeting the Tibetan leader whom it reviles as a “separatist”. From Dharamsala, his exile home in the northern India, the Dalai Lama travels extensively around the world promoting human values, teaching Buddhism and, advocating for Tibetan rights and their struggle for greater autonomy for the Himalayan country. He often meets with world leaders to present the case of Tibet.

Beijing however accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to split Tibet from China, which sent military troops to occupy the predominantly Buddhist Himalayan country in 1949, and has regularly protested against countries that host him.

The Dalai Lama says he is only seeking a “real and meaningful” autonomy for Tibetan people within China and opposes the use of violence.

CHINESE EMBASSY OBJECTS TO CONSTIEUNT ASSEMBLY  MEMBERS' MEETING WITH DALAI LAMA           

Thursday, 19 August 2010
                                                                                                            
The Chinese embassy in Kathmandu has written to the Ministry of Foreign affairs raising objection to a meeting of some Constituent Assembly (CA) with Tibetan religious leader in exile Dalai Lama, Nagarik daily reported.

The embassy has said, the CA members' meeting with Dalai Lama was against Nepal's One China Policy.

Madhesi Janadhikar Forum CA member Omprakash Yadav Guljari, and Nepali Congress CA members Harshajit Lama and Lalita Kingring had gone to Dharmashala in Himachal Pradesh, one-and-half months ago to meet Dalai Lama.

NC Parliamentary Party (PP) has also asked clarification from its CA members on the meeting at pressure from of the Chinese embassy. NC parliamentary party informed the embassy of the clarifications from its CA members.

We took clarification on the meeting with Dalai Lama and alerted them not to meet him again, said an NC PP office-bearer.

CA member Kingring and Lama said, the meeting was religious and not political.

Claiming it was not a mistake to meet the Guru of the religion she is following since birth Kingring said, it was sad that she had to give clarification even for meeting a religious Guru.

Some journalists and others were also included in the team of CA members' meeting Dalai Lama, arranged by Siddhartha Gautam, chairman of Lumbini Foundation.

General Manager of Gorkhapatra Corporation Shambhu Shrestha, journalists Jayprakash Tripathi and Sharad Chandra Wasti, former Director General of Civial Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Rajesh Raj Dali, and teacher of Padma Kanya Campus Sanjeeta Burma were involved in the team.

China has been pressuring Nepal to adopt stringent measures on Tibetan refugees and raising strong objections against any activity that it thinks support the Free Tibet movement.

The embassy had also raised serious objections when almost a dozen CA members met Dalai Lama last year. nepalnews.com