China today put a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-are-tibetan-refugees-doing-as-dalai-lama-celebrates-his-birthday-17626">Tibetan on trial for &quot;inciting separatism&quot;</a> even as rights group denounced the decision as a &quot;sham&quot; after he appeared in a New York Times video documentary&nbsp; in which he criticised policies related to Tibetan language education.

Tibetan, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/58-years-later-dalai-lama-meets-soldier-who-escorted-him-to-india-from-tibet-14105">Tashi Wangchuk, pleaded &quot;not guilty&quot;</a> to the charges. He faces upto 15 years in prison if convicted.

In the New York Times video, Wangchuk was shown travelling to Beijing where he tried to file a lawsuit against officials in Yushu which is an autonomous prefecture in&nbsp;southwest&nbsp;Qinghai province.

In the video, Wangchuk reportedly said: &quot;I want to try to use the People&rsquo;s Republic of China&rsquo;s laws to solve the problem,&quot; adding, it was a systematic &quot;slaughter of our culture&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;In politics, it&#39;s said that if one nation wants to eliminate another nation, first they need to eliminate their spoken and written language,&quot; he allegedly said in the video.

Rights group Amnesty International criticised the Chinese government for putting &nbsp;Wangchuk on trial calling it &quot;blatant trumped up charges&quot;.

Amnesty International said it was &quot;appalling&quot; that Wangchuk could face jail time.

Maya Wang, a researcher at Human Rights Watch told AFP that Wangchuk was merely exercising his constitutionally guaranteed rights.

&quot;If Chinese authorities consider that &#39;inciting separatism&#39;, it&#39;s hard to tell what isn&#39;t,&quot; Wang said.

Tibetan, Tashi Wangchuk, pleaded "not guilty" to the charges. He faces upto 15 years in prison if convicted.

China today put a Tibetan on trial for "inciting separatism" even as rights group denounced the decision as a "sham" after he appeared in a New York Times video documentary in which he criticised policies related to Tibetan language education. Tibetan, Tashi Wangchuk, pleaded "not guilty" to the charges. He faces upto 15 years in prison if convicted. In the New York Times video, Wangchuk was shown travelling to Beijing where he tried to file a lawsuit against officials in Yushu which is an autonomous prefecture in southwest Qinghai province. In the video, Wangchuk reportedly said: "I want to try to use the People’s Republic of China’s laws to solve the problem," adding, it was a systematic "slaughter of our culture". "In politics, it's said that if one nation wants to eliminate another nation, first they need to eliminate their spoken and written language," he allegedly said in the video. Rights group Amnesty International criticised the Chinese government for putting Wangchuk on trial calling it "blatant trumped up charges". Amnesty International said it was "appalling" that Wangchuk could face jail time. Maya Wang, a researcher at Human Rights Watch told AFP that Wangchuk was merely exercising his constitutionally guaranteed rights. "If Chinese authorities consider that 'inciting separatism', it's hard to tell what isn't," Wang said.

China puts Tibetan language advocate on trial for 'inciting separatism'

Kham, a region in the south east of the ancient mighty Tibetan Kingdom is the birthplace of all Khampas, the legendary and fierce warriors mentioned in the history. A rugged mountainous area comprising of Hengduan mountains and several river valleys are like the nature of Khampas - looks pleasant when silent but can cause massive damage if disturbed. Kham area is referred in Tibetan history as &quot;Chushi Gangdruk&quot; which means the land of six mountains and four rivers.

Since the very start, the Khampa warriors have been an integral part of Tibetan Army and have been protecting His Holiness Dalai Lama even at the cost of their lives. For a Khampa, life is always dedicated to his land and he is expected to fight till the last drop of his blood.

When Communist China started invading the land of Buddha in 1950, and razed their monasteries in eastern Tibet, the Khampas or the &quot;Buddha Warriors&quot; - a name by which they are also known - formed different armed groups to fight.

In 1959, when His Holiness Dalai Lama had to flee to India after situations become uneasy with Beijing, local Khampa tribesmen formed a strong resistance movement employing their guerrilla warfare against the invading Chinese army. The warriors were without any support and had to sustain at their own in the very beginning until the US started supporting them. The main concern of Washington and the CIA was to stop the spread of Communism especially in the pretext of a possible collaboration between erstwhile USSR and China.

In the early sixties, the CIA decided to organise a covert military establishment inside Tibet. The Khampa&#39;s initial stories of success against China with their limited resource led the CIA to back the group with arms, funding and training them in guerrilla warfare from the late 1950s until 1969. The initial set of warriors were flown to the US and were trained in Camp Hale in Colorado.

Soon thereafter, they set up their base camps in the then-kingdom of Mustang, which was a remote Himalayan region bordering Tibet but geographically located in Nepal. The training was tough and climate was not favourable. Moreover, the warriors had problems of food and other resources but all that couldn&#39;t deter the Khampas from their target. The initial lot of Khampas was also known as &quot;Mustang Warriors&quot;.

A former Khampa who also accompanied the Dalai Lama when he moved out of Tibet in 1959, says, &quot;We were able to fight so hard because we were fighting for Tibet. The Tibetan people had lost their freedom. They were enduring many hardships. And we wanted to go return to Tibet. That was why we fought so hard.&quot;

Despite the hardships and the political and military pressure from both China and Nepal, the armed group did succeed in temporarily taking control of large areas of Tibet during the territorial conflict.

Since China feared these warriors and their potent guerrilla tactics, it compelled Nepal to send its forces into Mustang for the surrender of the Khampas. To avoid confrontation, the Dalai Lama, being the ultimate authority in Tibetan Buddhist culture, sent the fighters a taped message asking them to lay down their arms to spare themselves a bloody confrontation.

While some of the warriors accepted the Dalai Lama&#39;s request, few of them chose to commit suicide rather than disobey their spiritual leader or face dishonour by surrendering. Even those who surrendered were murdered in cold blood by the joint team of Chinese and Nepalese army including the entire leadership of Khampa movement with their last General Wangdu, their last leader.

You can kill few Khampas but not their spirit which is still alive in the Kham region. In the subsequent years, more and more Khampas took the oath to fight for their land and the Dalai Lama and formed another movement with the support of Indian government. &quot;The movement will not die till we get back our motherland back from China. No matter how many of us perish but very soon we will be successful,&quot; says another fighter of the rank of a Colonel who is desperately waiting to fight for his leader, the Dalai Lama and his country.

Since the very start, the Khampa warriors have been an integral part of Tibetan Army and have been protecting His Holiness Dalai Lama even at the cost of their lives.

Kham, a region in the south east of the ancient mighty Tibetan Kingdom is the birthplace of all Khampas, the legendary and fierce warriors mentioned in the history. A rugged mountainous area comprising of Hengduan mountains and several river valleys are like the nature of Khampas - looks pleasant when silent but can cause massive damage if disturbed. Kham area is referred in Tibetan history as "Chushi Gangdruk" which means the land of six mountains and four rivers. Since the very start, the Khampa warriors have been an integral part of Tibetan Army and have been protecting His Holiness Dalai Lama even at the cost of their lives. For a Khampa, life is always dedicated to his land and he is expected to fight till the last drop of his blood. When Communist China started invading the land of Buddha in 1950, and razed their monasteries in eastern Tibet, the Khampas or the "Buddha Warriors" - a name by which they are also known - formed different armed groups to fight. In 1959, when His Holiness Dalai Lama had to flee to India after situations become uneasy with Beijing, local Khampa tribesmen formed a strong resistance movement employing their guerrilla warfare against the invading Chinese army. The warriors were without any support and had to sustain at their own in the very beginning until the US started supporting them. The main concern of Washington and the CIA was to stop the spread of Communism especially in the pretext of a possible collaboration between erstwhile USSR and China. In the early sixties, the CIA decided to organise a covert military establishment inside Tibet. The Khampa's initial stories of success against China with their limited resource led the CIA to back the group with arms, funding and training them in guerrilla warfare from the late 1950s until 1969. The initial set of warriors were flown to the US and were trained in Camp Hale in Colorado. Soon thereafter, they set up their base camps in the then-kingdom of Mustang, which was a remote Himalayan region bordering Tibet but geographically located in Nepal. The training was tough and climate was not favourable. Moreover, the warriors had problems of food and other resources but all that couldn't deter the Khampas from their target. The initial lot of Khampas was also known as "Mustang Warriors". A former Khampa who also accompanied the Dalai Lama when he moved out of Tibet in 1959, says, "We were able to fight so hard because we were fighting for Tibet. The Tibetan people had lost their freedom. They were enduring many hardships. And we wanted to go return to Tibet. That was why we fought so hard." Despite the hardships and the political and military pressure from both China and Nepal, the armed group did succeed in temporarily taking control of large areas of Tibet during the territorial conflict. Since China feared these warriors and their potent guerrilla tactics, it compelled Nepal to send its forces into Mustang for the surrender of the Khampas. To avoid confrontation, the Dalai Lama, being the ultimate authority in Tibetan Buddhist culture, sent the fighters a taped message asking them to lay down their arms to spare themselves a bloody confrontation. While some of the warriors accepted the Dalai Lama's request, few of them chose to commit suicide rather than disobey their spiritual leader or face dishonour by surrendering. Even those who surrendered were murdered in cold blood by the joint team of Chinese and Nepalese army including the entire leadership of Khampa movement with their last General Wangdu, their last leader. You can kill few Khampas but not their spirit which is still alive in the Kham region. In the subsequent years, more and more Khampas took the oath to fight for their land and the Dalai Lama and formed another movement with the support of Indian government. "The movement will not die till we get back our motherland back from China. No matter how many of us perish but very soon we will be successful," says another fighter of the rank of a Colonel who is desperately waiting to fight for his leader, the Dalai Lama and his country.

Meet the Khampa warriors, who even the Chinese feared

The India-China standoff at Doklam is &ldquo;not a very serious&rdquo; issue, the Dalai Lama said on Wednesday stressing that the two countries have to live side by side.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said there were periods when the two neighbours used &ldquo;harsh words&rdquo;, but the spirit of &ldquo;Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai&rdquo; is the only way forward.

&ldquo;I do not think it is very serious. India and China have to live side by side,&rdquo; the Dalai Lama said, adding that &ldquo;propaganda makes things complicated&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Even in 1962, Chinese forces which reached Bomdilla, eventually withdrew,&rdquo; he said while speaking at the Rajendra Mathur Memorial Lecture organised by the Editors Guild of India.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/war-not-a-solution-to-doklam-standoff-sushma-swaraj-18562">War not a solution to Doklam standoff, says Sushma Swaraj</a>

India and China have been locked in a face-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector for more than 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area.

China claimed it was constructing the road within its territory and has been demanding immediate withdrawal of the Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau.

Bhutan says Doklam belongs to it but China claims it to be its territory and says Thimphu has no dispute with Beijing over it.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had recently said both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution of the border standoff.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-asks-india-to-pull-back-troops-from-doklam-with-no-strings-attached-18504">Pull back troops from Doklam with &#39;no strings attached&#39;</a>

The Tibetan spiritual leader said there were periods when the two neighbours used 'harsh words', but the spirit of 'Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai' is the only way forward

The India-China standoff at Doklam is “not a very serious” issue, the Dalai Lama said on Wednesday stressing that the two countries have to live side by side. The Tibetan spiritual leader said there were periods when the two neighbours used “harsh words”, but the spirit of “Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai” is the only way forward. “I do not think it is very serious. India and China have to live side by side,” the Dalai Lama said, adding that “propaganda makes things complicated”. “Even in 1962, Chinese forces which reached Bomdilla, eventually withdrew,” he said while speaking at the Rajendra Mathur Memorial Lecture organised by the Editors Guild of India. Also read: War not a solution to Doklam standoff, says Sushma Swaraj India and China have been locked in a face-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector for more than 50 days after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the area. China claimed it was constructing the road within its territory and has been demanding immediate withdrawal of the Indian troops from the disputed Doklam plateau. Bhutan says Doklam belongs to it but China claims it to be its territory and says Thimphu has no dispute with Beijing over it. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had recently said both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks to take place, favouring a peaceful resolution of the border standoff. Also read: Pull back troops from Doklam with 'no strings attached'

India, China have to live side by side: Dalai Lama

When Donald Trump was elected in November, the Dalai Lama said he was keen to meet the incoming US president, but since then Trump has cozied up to China&#39;s leader Xi Jinping, making it less likely the man Beijing deems a separatist will get an invite to the White House anytime soon.

The United States has long recognised Tibet as part of the People&#39;s Republic of China, and does not back Tibetan independence. But that has not deterred all the recent US presidents before Trump from meeting the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader.

The United States is widely seen as the last major Western power that has still held meetings with the Dalai Lama despite Beijing&#39;s objections that such encounters foment separatism.

In past meetings, the US had consistently voiced support for the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China, and called for formal talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama and his representatives.

A State Department spokeswoman and a White House official referred Reuters to the Dalai Lama&#39;s office when asked whether the Tibetan spiritual leader and his representatives had asked for a meeting with Trump and whether any such meetings were planned.

The Chinese foreign ministry didn&#39;t immediately respond to a faxed request asking whether Beijing had asked Trump not to meet the Dalai Lama.

&quot;His Holiness was supposed to go (to the US) in April, but it was postponed,&quot; Lobsang Sangay, head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, told Reuters.

That trip has been delayed until June due to a hectic schedule in the preceding months that had left the Dalai Lama physically exhausted, Sangay said, adding that Washington DC wouldn&#39;t be part of the June itinerary.

The office of the Dalai Lama hasn&#39;t reached out to Trump to arrange a meeting yet, he said.

The Dalai Lama is taking a more considered approach with regard to any meeting with Trump, said a source with knowledge of the thinking of the winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

The unpredictable US president upset protocol in December when weeks before being sworn into office he took a telephone call from the leader of self-ruled Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province, only to last week rebuff Taiwanese suggestions of another call.

In the interim, Trump has met and phoned Xi, and says he has built a strong relationship with the Chinese leader.

He called Xi &quot;a friend of mine&quot; who was &quot;doing an amazing job as a leader&quot; in an interview with Reuters last week, and praised him for trying to rein in nuclear-armed North Korea. In return, the Chinese president has invited Trump to visit China this year.

In mid-2008, then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met the Dalai Lama, to the anger of Beijing. Months later, the British Foreign Secretary at that time David Miliband ditched Britain&#39;s near century-long position on Tibet, describing it as an &quot;anachronism&quot;, and explicitly recognised Tibet as part of China.

Based on treaties signed at the turn of the 20th century by British-administered India and Tibet, Britain had previously said it would recognise China&#39;s &quot;special position&quot; in Tibet on the condition that Tibet was given significant autonomy.

Silence from Trump

Chinese troops took control of Tibet in 1950 in what Beijing calls a &quot;peaceful liberation&quot;. Nine years later, the Dalai Lama fled to India after an abortive uprising and set up a government in exile, which China does not recognise.

China sees the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist in a monk&#39;s robes, even though the Dalai Lama says he wants autonomy for his homeland, not outright independence.

There have been no formal talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama&#39;s representatives since 2010.

International rights groups and exiles say China stamps on the religious and cultural rights of Tibetans, accusations denied by Beijing. China says its rule has ended serfdom and brought prosperity to a once-backward trans-Himalayan region.

Trump has been silent on Tibetan issues.

&quot;The main change is that the US approach on Tibet seems likely to become more transactional and therefore less consistent,&quot; said Robbie Barnett, director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University.

&quot;It seems set to become more a question of contingency, dependent on how he calculates his relationship with China at any one moment.&quot;

Earlier this week, Democratic US Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts called for a new US policy towards Tibet to safeguard the identity of the Tibetan people and hold China accountable for human rights abuses.

The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said he is still hopeful that the United States will continue to support Tibetan issues and push for talks between the Dalai Lama&#39;s representatives and Beijing.

But he said they were prepared for any upsets.

&quot;We are Buddhists, we believe in impermanence. You just go with your karma and whatever happens, happens, because we have seen the worst, the occupation of our country,&quot; said Sangay, who is planning a trip to Washington at the end of May.

(Reuters)

The United States has long recognised Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China, and does not back Tibetan independence

When Donald Trump was elected in November, the Dalai Lama said he was keen to meet the incoming US president, but since then Trump has cozied up to China's leader Xi Jinping, making it less likely the man Beijing deems a separatist will get an invite to the White House anytime soon. The United States has long recognised Tibet as part of the People's Republic of China, and does not back Tibetan independence. But that has not deterred all the recent US presidents before Trump from meeting the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader. The United States is widely seen as the last major Western power that has still held meetings with the Dalai Lama despite Beijing's objections that such encounters foment separatism. In past meetings, the US had consistently voiced support for the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China, and called for formal talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama and his representatives. A State Department spokeswoman and a White House official referred Reuters to the Dalai Lama's office when asked whether the Tibetan spiritual leader and his representatives had asked for a meeting with Trump and whether any such meetings were planned. The Chinese foreign ministry didn't immediately respond to a faxed request asking whether Beijing had asked Trump not to meet the Dalai Lama. "His Holiness was supposed to go (to the US) in April, but it was postponed," Lobsang Sangay, head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, told Reuters. That trip has been delayed until June due to a hectic schedule in the preceding months that had left the Dalai Lama physically exhausted, Sangay said, adding that Washington DC wouldn't be part of the June itinerary. The office of the Dalai Lama hasn't reached out to Trump to arrange a meeting yet, he said. The Dalai Lama is taking a more considered approach with regard to any meeting with Trump, said a source with knowledge of the thinking of the winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. The unpredictable US president upset protocol in December when weeks before being sworn into office he took a telephone call from the leader of self-ruled Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province, only to last week rebuff Taiwanese suggestions of another call. In the interim, Trump has met and phoned Xi, and says he has built a strong relationship with the Chinese leader. He called Xi "a friend of mine" who was "doing an amazing job as a leader" in an interview with Reuters last week, and praised him for trying to rein in nuclear-armed North Korea. In return, the Chinese president has invited Trump to visit China this year. In mid-2008, then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met the Dalai Lama, to the anger of Beijing. Months later, the British Foreign Secretary at that time David Miliband ditched Britain's near century-long position on Tibet, describing it as an "anachronism", and explicitly recognised Tibet as part of China. Based on treaties signed at the turn of the 20th century by British-administered India and Tibet, Britain had previously said it would recognise China's "special position" in Tibet on the condition that Tibet was given significant autonomy. Silence from Trump Chinese troops took control of Tibet in 1950 in what Beijing calls a "peaceful liberation". Nine years later, the Dalai Lama fled to India after an abortive uprising and set up a government in exile, which China does not recognise. China sees the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist in a monk's robes, even though the Dalai Lama says he wants autonomy for his homeland, not outright independence. There have been no formal talks between Beijing and the Dalai Lama's representatives since 2010. International rights groups and exiles say China stamps on the religious and cultural rights of Tibetans, accusations denied by Beijing. China says its rule has ended serfdom and brought prosperity to a once-backward trans-Himalayan region. Trump has been silent on Tibetan issues. "The main change is that the US approach on Tibet seems likely to become more transactional and therefore less consistent," said Robbie Barnett, director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University. "It seems set to become more a question of contingency, dependent on how he calculates his relationship with China at any one moment." Earlier this week, Democratic US Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts called for a new US policy towards Tibet to safeguard the identity of the Tibetan people and hold China accountable for human rights abuses. The prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile said he is still hopeful that the United States will continue to support Tibetan issues and push for talks between the Dalai Lama's representatives and Beijing. But he said they were prepared for any upsets. "We are Buddhists, we believe in impermanence. You just go with your karma and whatever happens, happens, because we have seen the worst, the occupation of our country," said Sangay, who is planning a trip to Washington at the end of May. (Reuters)

Dalai Lama to wait longer for White House invite as Trump cozies up to China's Xi

China&#39;s ruling Communist party for the first time has publicly said some of its officials were funding the Dalai Lama by donating money to the 81-year-old exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, undermining the fight against &quot;separatist&quot; forces.

A senior discipline inspection official has &quot;lambasted some party officials for allegedly donating money to the 14th Dalai Lama, saying such behaviour severely undermines the party&#39;s fight against separatism,&quot; state-run Global Times reported today.

Some party officials have neglected important political issues and the country&#39;s anti-separatist struggle, Wang Yongjun, head of the discipline watchdog in Tibet, which is officially called the Tibet Autonomous Region, was quoted as saying.

The Global Times, a tabloid publication attached the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), also quoted a 2016 report issued by Tibet&#39;s discipline watchdog, linking &quot;15 party officials to alleged illegal overseas separatist organisations in 2014 who provided intelligence to the Dalai Lama clique and funded secessionist activities.&quot;

It, however, did not reveal the names or the designations of the officials.

This is the first time official media here has come out with a disclosure of Chinese officials&#39; links with the Dalai Lama after he fled from China to India in 1959.

Wang, in an article published yesterday in a magazine run by the CPC, the Central Commission of Discipline Inspection and the Ministry of Supervision, wrote that &quot;some have even donated to the 14th Dalai Lama clique, joined illegal underground organisations and provided intelligence to overseas organisations.&quot;

A few party officials are failing to &quot;uphold their political integrity&quot; and are &quot;completely ignoring political discipline,&quot; Wang said, adding that such behaviour has affected the CPC coherence and its ability to fight separatism.

China views the 14th Dalai Lama as a &quot;separatist&quot; working to split Tibet from China.

China has been carrying out a systematic crackdown in Tibet and associated prefectures with Tibetan population to eliminate the influence of the Dalai Lama, who is revered and regarded as a spiritual leader heading Tibetan Buddhism.

In recent years, over 120 Tibetans, mostly monks, have committed self-immolations in different parts, calling for the return of the spiritual leader.

His recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh which China calls &#39;South Tibet&#39; soured the relations between India and China further as Beijing lodged a diplomatic protest and announced Chinese &quot;standardised&quot; named for six places in Arunachal Pradesh in retaliation.

(PTI)

Some party officials have neglected important political issues and the country's anti-separatist struggle, Wang Yongjun said

China's ruling Communist party for the first time has publicly said some of its officials were funding the Dalai Lama by donating money to the 81-year-old exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, undermining the fight against "separatist" forces. A senior discipline inspection official has "lambasted some party officials for allegedly donating money to the 14th Dalai Lama, saying such behaviour severely undermines the party's fight against separatism," state-run Global Times reported today. Some party officials have neglected important political issues and the country's anti-separatist struggle, Wang Yongjun, head of the discipline watchdog in Tibet, which is officially called the Tibet Autonomous Region, was quoted as saying. The Global Times, a tabloid publication attached the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), also quoted a 2016 report issued by Tibet's discipline watchdog, linking "15 party officials to alleged illegal overseas separatist organisations in 2014 who provided intelligence to the Dalai Lama clique and funded secessionist activities." It, however, did not reveal the names or the designations of the officials. This is the first time official media here has come out with a disclosure of Chinese officials' links with the Dalai Lama after he fled from China to India in 1959. Wang, in an article published yesterday in a magazine run by the CPC, the Central Commission of Discipline Inspection and the Ministry of Supervision, wrote that "some have even donated to the 14th Dalai Lama clique, joined illegal underground organisations and provided intelligence to overseas organisations." A few party officials are failing to "uphold their political integrity" and are "completely ignoring political discipline," Wang said, adding that such behaviour has affected the CPC coherence and its ability to fight separatism. China views the 14th Dalai Lama as a "separatist" working to split Tibet from China. China has been carrying out a systematic crackdown in Tibet and associated prefectures with Tibetan population to eliminate the influence of the Dalai Lama, who is revered and regarded as a spiritual leader heading Tibetan Buddhism. In recent years, over 120 Tibetans, mostly monks, have committed self-immolations in different parts, calling for the return of the spiritual leader. His recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh which China calls 'South Tibet' soured the relations between India and China further as Beijing lodged a diplomatic protest and announced Chinese "standardised" named for six places in Arunachal Pradesh in retaliation. (PTI)

Some Communist Party of China (CPC) officials funding Dalai Lama: Official

China Wednesday warned India that Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to Arunachal Pradesh will have a &quot;negative impact&quot; on the settlement of the border dispute with the northeastern state, parts of which China claims as southern Tibet.

It also said the provocative statements made by India during the course of the exiled Tibetan leader&#39;s visit to India violated its commitment on the issue of Tibet.

Pema Khandu, chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, told Reuters on April 5 that he regarded the land on the other side of the border as Tibet, not China.

&quot;As far as the boundary issue is concerned, I have also maintained that we don&#39;t share our boundary with China, but we share our boundary with Tibet,&quot; the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister had said.

Without naming Khandu, China&#39;s foreign ministry said &quot;some specific Indian official&quot; had indulged in provocative political statement and that they &quot;exceeded the scope of religious activities&quot;.

&quot;What India has done is violated the solemn commitment on Tibet-related issues and it also has a negative impact on proper settlement of the territorial disputes between the two sides through negotiations,&quot; said China&#39;s foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang.

Lu Kang said the Dalai Lama supported that stand.

&ldquo;The Dalai clique already fully stands with the position of foreigners. His display cannot in the slightest impact China&rsquo;s position on the border and Tibet,&rdquo; Lu Kang said.

He also said despite China&#39;s objection, India insisted on arranging the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit &quot;in the disputed areas of the eastern section of the China-India boundary&quot;.&nbsp;

Lu also termed the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit a &quot;disgraceful performance&quot;, which will by no means change China&#39;s position on the border and Tibet-related issues nor the fact that the Tibetan government is &quot;exercising effective administration&quot;.

&quot;The Dalai Lama has disgraceful performance on the boundary question. This time he called himself the son of India and also backed up unfounded statement by the official of the so-called Arunachal Pradesh of India,&quot; Lu said.

&quot;The Dalai Lama attacked the Chinese government on Tibet-related issues and advertised his political views on splitting China. It showed the Dalai clique has already viewed itself as foreign,&quot; he said.

The Dalai Lama&#39;s week-long trip to Arunachal Pradesh has infuriated China who considers the exiled Tibetan leader to be a dangerous separatist.

&quot;China has lodged representations with the Indian side and we will take further action to safeguard the territorial sovereignty and national security,&quot; Lu said, without elaborating.

He said the boundary and Tibet-related questions &quot;bear the political foundation of China-India relationship&quot; and the two countries have reached &quot;important consensus&quot; of resolving the dispute through talks and consultations.

&quot;We hope that the Indian side bear in mind the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples and safeguard the political foundation of the bilateral relationship and do not take any provocative actions,&quot; he said.

Asked to elaborate what &quot;negative impact&quot; he was referring to on the border dispute, Lu said, &quot;I would like to correct one mistake in your remark, I said the Dalai Lama was visiting the disputed eastern section of the China-India boundary. It&#39;s not the Indian territory. The Indian government has made solemn commitment on Tibet-related issues and the boundary question,&quot; he said.

&quot;We have lessons to learn from history. When the Indian side violated commitments on the relevant issues, the Indian side insisted on arranging the visit of the Dalai Lama in the disputed section of the China-Indian boundary and indulged in provocative political statements. We have already expressed our solemn representations and it will of course have negative impact on bilateral relations,&quot; he said.

India and China have been negotiating on the border dispute for more than 20 years but an agreement is yet to be reached. The dispute covers the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control that separates India&#39;s Arunachal Pradesh from China.

While China claims parts of Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts the dispute also covers the Aksai Chin area, which China occupied during the 1962 Sino-India war.

China is opposed to the Nobel laureate&#39;s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, particularly to Tawang, which happens to be the birth place of the sixth Dalai Lama in 1683. It is also at the centre of Tibetan Buddhism.

China&#39;s media and foreign ministry have repeatedly aired their opposition to the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to the region. An article in the state-run China Daily today said the people of Arunachal Pradesh live &quot;difficult lives&quot; under India&#39;s &quot;illegal&quot; rule and they look forward to returning to China.

Building on the argument in the leading daily, Lu claimed Tibet is achieving faster growth. &quot;It will make people see clear that the Dalai Lama is &quot;attempting to split China and damaging interests of all ethnic groups in China.&quot;&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI, Reuters) 
&nbsp;

China said "some specific Indian official had indulged in provocative political statement" but did not name state minister Pema Khandu

China Wednesday warned India that Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh will have a "negative impact" on the settlement of the border dispute with the northeastern state, parts of which China claims as southern Tibet. It also said the provocative statements made by India during the course of the exiled Tibetan leader's visit to India violated its commitment on the issue of Tibet. Pema Khandu, chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, told Reuters on April 5 that he regarded the land on the other side of the border as Tibet, not China. "As far as the boundary issue is concerned, I have also maintained that we don't share our boundary with China, but we share our boundary with Tibet," the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister had said. Without naming Khandu, China's foreign ministry said "some specific Indian official" had indulged in provocative political statement and that they "exceeded the scope of religious activities". "What India has done is violated the solemn commitment on Tibet-related issues and it also has a negative impact on proper settlement of the territorial disputes between the two sides through negotiations," said China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang. Lu Kang said the Dalai Lama supported that stand. “The Dalai clique already fully stands with the position of foreigners. His display cannot in the slightest impact China’s position on the border and Tibet,” Lu Kang said. He also said despite China's objection, India insisted on arranging the Dalai Lama's visit "in the disputed areas of the eastern section of the China-India boundary". Lu also termed the Dalai Lama's visit a "disgraceful performance", which will by no means change China's position on the border and Tibet-related issues nor the fact that the Tibetan government is "exercising effective administration". "The Dalai Lama has disgraceful performance on the boundary question. This time he called himself the son of India and also backed up unfounded statement by the official of the so-called Arunachal Pradesh of India," Lu said. "The Dalai Lama attacked the Chinese government on Tibet-related issues and advertised his political views on splitting China. It showed the Dalai clique has already viewed itself as foreign," he said. The Dalai Lama's week-long trip to Arunachal Pradesh has infuriated China who considers the exiled Tibetan leader to be a dangerous separatist. "China has lodged representations with the Indian side and we will take further action to safeguard the territorial sovereignty and national security," Lu said, without elaborating. He said the boundary and Tibet-related questions "bear the political foundation of China-India relationship" and the two countries have reached "important consensus" of resolving the dispute through talks and consultations. "We hope that the Indian side bear in mind the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples and safeguard the political foundation of the bilateral relationship and do not take any provocative actions," he said. Asked to elaborate what "negative impact" he was referring to on the border dispute, Lu said, "I would like to correct one mistake in your remark, I said the Dalai Lama was visiting the disputed eastern section of the China-India boundary. It's not the Indian territory. The Indian government has made solemn commitment on Tibet-related issues and the boundary question," he said. "We have lessons to learn from history. When the Indian side violated commitments on the relevant issues, the Indian side insisted on arranging the visit of the Dalai Lama in the disputed section of the China-Indian boundary and indulged in provocative political statements. We have already expressed our solemn representations and it will of course have negative impact on bilateral relations," he said. India and China have been negotiating on the border dispute for more than 20 years but an agreement is yet to be reached. The dispute covers the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control that separates India's Arunachal Pradesh from China. While China claims parts of Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet, India asserts the dispute also covers the Aksai Chin area, which China occupied during the 1962 Sino-India war. China is opposed to the Nobel laureate's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, particularly to Tawang, which happens to be the birth place of the sixth Dalai Lama in 1683. It is also at the centre of Tibetan Buddhism. China's media and foreign ministry have repeatedly aired their opposition to the Dalai Lama's visit to the region. An article in the state-run China Daily today said the people of Arunachal Pradesh live "difficult lives" under India's "illegal" rule and they look forward to returning to China. Building on the argument in the leading daily, Lu claimed Tibet is achieving faster growth. "It will make people see clear that the Dalai Lama is "attempting to split China and damaging interests of all ethnic groups in China." (WION with inputs from PTI, Reuters)

Dalai Lama's Arunachal Pradesh visit asserts India's territorial claim, a provocation: China

The Dalai Lama on Saturday accused China of spreading false information about his trip to a monastery near India&#39;s border that drew protests from Beijing which claims the Himalayan area as its territory.

&quot;People have the wrong information,&quot; the 81-year-old monk told reporters in Arunachal Pradesh&#39;s Tawang where he took shelter on his flight from Tibet decades ago.&nbsp;

&quot;I wish one Chinese official would accompany me while I&#39;m visiting here, what I&#39;m doing, what I&#39;m saying. They should know the reality.&quot;&nbsp;

After addressing devotees at the monastery, considered one of the holiest sites in Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama fired back at Beijing, accusing the country&#39;s communist officials of misleading its people over the nature of his visit.

&quot;The 1.3-4 billion Chinese people have every right to know the reality.... They only have one-sided information and wrong information is morally wrong, they&#39;re fooling their own people.&quot;

Beijing this week lodged an official protest with the Indian ambassador, accusing New Delhi of arranging a platform for the Dalai Lama to &quot;hold anti-China and separatist activities&quot;.

The Indian government has insisted the trip is purely religious and pointed out that the Dalai Lama has been to Tawang before, accusing China of creating an &quot;artificial controversy&quot;.

But some analysts say New Delhi has adopted a firmer approach to China since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in 2014 and invited the head of the India-based Tibetan government-in-exile to attend his swearing-in ceremony.

&quot;The Dalai Lama has always been welcome to travel wherever he wants in India. But this government has been a bit firmer on issues of sovereignty,&quot; said Jayadeva Ranade, head of the Delhi-based Centre for China Analysis and Strategy.

Huge crowds, at least 20,000 by some estimates, turned out to hear the monk&#39;s nearly three-hour religious discourse.

Reincarnation concerns 
 
New Delhi is currently pushing to expand its infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh, building new roads and conducting a feasibility study for a railway.

India and China fought a border war in 1962 over the region, which has a large ethnic Tibetan population.

En route to Arunachal, the Dalai Lama was reunited with the Indian border guard who escorted him into the country after he fled his native Tibet following a failed uprising nearly 60 years ago.

Speaking to reporters a few days later, the Dalai Lama said the meeting had been &quot;very emotional&quot;, bringing back memories of his dramatic flight across the Himalayas disguised as a soldier.

Ranade said the visit to Tawang -- birthplace of an earlier incarnation of the Dalai Lama -- had also raised Chinese concerns over the ageing monk&#39;s succession.

The Dalai Lama has stated that his reincarnation may be found outside Chinese Tibet, and Arunachal, with its rich Tibetan culture, is an obvious contender.

Under Tibetan Buddhist tradition, senior monks identify a young boy who shows signs he is a reincarnation of a late leader.

But China&#39;s officially atheist Communist rulers maintain that they have the sole authority to decide reincarnation.

&quot;The Chinese reaction has been very elevated, they&#39;ve been using tough language,&quot; Ranade told AFP. &quot;This indicates Chinese anxiety about the reincarnation.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The Dalai Lama accused Beijing of misleading its people over the nature of his visit

The Dalai Lama on Saturday accused China of spreading false information about his trip to a monastery near India's border that drew protests from Beijing which claims the Himalayan area as its territory. "People have the wrong information," the 81-year-old monk told reporters in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang where he took shelter on his flight from Tibet decades ago. "I wish one Chinese official would accompany me while I'm visiting here, what I'm doing, what I'm saying. They should know the reality." After addressing devotees at the monastery, considered one of the holiest sites in Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama fired back at Beijing, accusing the country's communist officials of misleading its people over the nature of his visit. "The 1.3-4 billion Chinese people have every right to know the reality.... They only have one-sided information and wrong information is morally wrong, they're fooling their own people." Beijing this week lodged an official protest with the Indian ambassador, accusing New Delhi of arranging a platform for the Dalai Lama to "hold anti-China and separatist activities". The Indian government has insisted the trip is purely religious and pointed out that the Dalai Lama has been to Tawang before, accusing China of creating an "artificial controversy". But some analysts say New Delhi has adopted a firmer approach to China since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in 2014 and invited the head of the India-based Tibetan government-in-exile to attend his swearing-in ceremony. "The Dalai Lama has always been welcome to travel wherever he wants in India. But this government has been a bit firmer on issues of sovereignty," said Jayadeva Ranade, head of the Delhi-based Centre for China Analysis and Strategy. Huge crowds, at least 20,000 by some estimates, turned out to hear the monk's nearly three-hour religious discourse. Reincarnation concerns New Delhi is currently pushing to expand its infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh, building new roads and conducting a feasibility study for a railway. India and China fought a border war in 1962 over the region, which has a large ethnic Tibetan population. En route to Arunachal, the Dalai Lama was reunited with the Indian border guard who escorted him into the country after he fled his native Tibet following a failed uprising nearly 60 years ago. Speaking to reporters a few days later, the Dalai Lama said the meeting had been "very emotional", bringing back memories of his dramatic flight across the Himalayas disguised as a soldier. Ranade said the visit to Tawang -- birthplace of an earlier incarnation of the Dalai Lama -- had also raised Chinese concerns over the ageing monk's succession. The Dalai Lama has stated that his reincarnation may be found outside Chinese Tibet, and Arunachal, with its rich Tibetan culture, is an obvious contender. Under Tibetan Buddhist tradition, senior monks identify a young boy who shows signs he is a reincarnation of a late leader. But China's officially atheist Communist rulers maintain that they have the sole authority to decide reincarnation. "The Chinese reaction has been very elevated, they've been using tough language," Ranade told AFP. "This indicates Chinese anxiety about the reincarnation." (AFP)

China spreading wrong information about my trip to India: Dalai Lama

Infuriated with India calling Arunachal Pradesh an &quot;inseparable part&quot;, China said Thursday that it has lodged protests in both India and China over the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to the state which China claims as a part of southern Tibet.

The same day, Chinese official media warned India that China should not hesitate to answer &quot;blows with blows&quot; if India chose to play dirty by allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh. Two&nbsp;Chinese newspapers&nbsp;slammed Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju for accompanying the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader on his visit to the state, calling it a &quot;double affront&quot;.

The remarks came after India&#39;s Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that Arunachal Pradesh was &quot;an inseparable part of India&quot;.

While lodging its official protest, China accused India of &quot;fuelling tensions&quot; by allowing the Dalai Lama in the &quot;disputed areas&quot;.

The protest was lodged in Beijing with Indian Ambassador to China Vijay Gokhale. In Delhi, the protest was lodged with the competent officials of the External Affairs Ministry, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing in Beijing.

&quot;I can confirm (that) China has lodged protest in Beijing and Delhi,&quot; the foreign ministry spokesperson said.

Asked whether Beijing views India&#39;s permission to the 81-year-old Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh as amounting to questioning the &quot;One China&quot; policy, Hua said, &quot;I want to re-emphasise that on issues concerning China&#39;s major concern and core interests, territorial and sovereignty, China&#39;s position is consistent.&quot;

&quot;By inviting and approving (the) Dalai Lama to (visit) disputed areas between China and India, India has damaged our interests and the India-China relationship and it has fuelled tensions,&quot; she said.

&quot;We oppose the visit to relevant areas and oppose attempts by relevant countries to arrange a platform for (the) Dalai (Lama) to conduct anti-China activities. We urge relevant country to stop such erroneous actions and stop undermining Chinese interests,&quot; she said.

She said the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit has caused damage to India-China relations.

&quot;We hope the two sides can continue to follow principle of mutual respect for each other&#39;s core interests and major concerns and we should do more things that can strengthen mutual political trust and promote the overall interests of China-India relations,&quot; she said.

Asked about assertions in the Chinese media that India&#39;s move was aimed at pressuring Beijing over the issues relating to China blocking India&#39;s Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership bid, Hua said, &quot;China will not make any assumptions on India&#39;s intentions.&quot;

Hua said the issue of India&#39;s NSG bid should be resolved by all the 48 members of the group.

&quot;We should achieve a solution that applies indiscriminately to all non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty countries through consultation and discussion,&quot; she said.

India using Dalai Lama as a diplomatic tool: Chinese media

Two English newspapers -- China Daily and Global Times -- took exceptions to Kiren Rijiju&#39;s remarks.&nbsp;

The papers said India is using the Dalai Lama as a &quot;diplomatic tool&quot; against China for its &quot;vice like veto&quot; against India&#39;s membership in the NSG and the UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.

&quot;New Delhi not only allowed the 14th Dalai Lama to visit Southern Tibet, a historical Chinese territory India has illicitly occupied and refers to as &#39;Arunachal Pradesh&#39;, but the spiritual leader of &#39;Tibetan independence&#39; was also escorted on the trip by India&#39;s junior minister of home affairs,&quot; the state-run China Daily said in its editorial.

&quot;To Beijing, that is a double affront,&quot; it said.

&quot;Rijiju might think himself cute in borrowing a line from Beijing&#39;s diplomatic representations, but he has ignored the fundamental distinction here: Like Taiwan and any other part of China, Tibet is a part of the Chinese territory no matter whether New Delhi agrees or not,&quot; it said in the editorial.

&quot;Southern Tibet, on the other hand, was stolen from China by his country&#39;s former colonial master taking advantage of China&#39;s internal strife. Should he have any questions regarding the status of Southern Tibet, Rijiju can consult the historical archives,&quot; it said.

&quot;Neither the &#39;McMahon Line&#39;, by which New Delhi justifies its actual control of Southern Tibet nor the present-day &#39;Arunachal Pradesh&#39; has Beijing&#39;s endorsement. In other words, Indian occupation of the area is legally untenable. Using it as leverage, therefore, is not just unethical, it is outright illicit,&quot; the editorial said.

Despite the historical dispute, the China-India border area has by and large remained peaceful recently, particularly since Beijing and New Delhi began to get serious about border talks, it said.

&quot;If New Delhi chooses to play dirty, however, Beijing should not hesitate to answer blows with blows,&quot; the paper said.

The aggressive editorials came after China yesterday lodged a protest over the Tibetan spiritual leader&#39;s visit to the area.

The Dalai Lama is currently on a nine-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

In its editorial, the ruling CPC-run Global Times criticised Rijiju for accompanying the Dalai Lama during his visit to the state.

&quot;The Dalai Lama has been to the disputed region before, but what makes this trip different is that he is received and accompanied by India&#39;s Junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju. When China raised the concern over the visit, Rijiju commented that China shouldn&#39;t intervene in their &#39;internal affairs&#39;,&quot; it said.

&quot;New Delhi probably overestimates its leverage in the bilateral ties with China. The two countries in recent years have continuously strived to improve their relationship and the peace on the border area has been maintained,&quot; it said.

&quot;India has benefited from the good momentum of bilateral relationship as much as China. If New Delhi ruins the Sino- India ties and the two countries turn into open rivals, can India afford the consequence?,&quot; the tabloid, known for striking aggressive nationalistic postures, said.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

Chinese media also launched a scathing attack on Minister of State Kiren Rijiju for calling Arunachal Pradesh 'an inseparable part of India'

Infuriated with India calling Arunachal Pradesh an "inseparable part", China said Thursday that it has lodged protests in both India and China over the Dalai Lama's visit to the state which China claims as a part of southern Tibet. The same day, Chinese official media warned India that China should not hesitate to answer "blows with blows" if India chose to play dirty by allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh. Two Chinese newspapers slammed Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju for accompanying the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader on his visit to the state, calling it a "double affront". The remarks came after India's Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that Arunachal Pradesh was "an inseparable part of India". While lodging its official protest, China accused India of "fuelling tensions" by allowing the Dalai Lama in the "disputed areas". The protest was lodged in Beijing with Indian Ambassador to China Vijay Gokhale. In Delhi, the protest was lodged with the competent officials of the External Affairs Ministry, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing in Beijing. "I can confirm (that) China has lodged protest in Beijing and Delhi," the foreign ministry spokesperson said. Asked whether Beijing views India's permission to the 81-year-old Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh as amounting to questioning the "One China" policy, Hua said, "I want to re-emphasise that on issues concerning China's major concern and core interests, territorial and sovereignty, China's position is consistent." "By inviting and approving (the) Dalai Lama to (visit) disputed areas between China and India, India has damaged our interests and the India-China relationship and it has fuelled tensions," she said. "We oppose the visit to relevant areas and oppose attempts by relevant countries to arrange a platform for (the) Dalai (Lama) to conduct anti-China activities. We urge relevant country to stop such erroneous actions and stop undermining Chinese interests," she said. She said the Dalai Lama's visit has caused damage to India-China relations. "We hope the two sides can continue to follow principle of mutual respect for each other's core interests and major concerns and we should do more things that can strengthen mutual political trust and promote the overall interests of China-India relations," she said. Asked about assertions in the Chinese media that India's move was aimed at pressuring Beijing over the issues relating to China blocking India's Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership bid, Hua said, "China will not make any assumptions on India's intentions." Hua said the issue of India's NSG bid should be resolved by all the 48 members of the group. "We should achieve a solution that applies indiscriminately to all non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty countries through consultation and discussion," she said. India using Dalai Lama as a diplomatic tool: Chinese media Two English newspapers -- China Daily and Global Times -- took exceptions to Kiren Rijiju's remarks. The papers said India is using the Dalai Lama as a "diplomatic tool" against China for its "vice like veto" against India's membership in the NSG and the UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. "New Delhi not only allowed the 14th Dalai Lama to visit Southern Tibet, a historical Chinese territory India has illicitly occupied and refers to as 'Arunachal Pradesh', but the spiritual leader of 'Tibetan independence' was also escorted on the trip by India's junior minister of home affairs," the state-run China Daily said in its editorial. "To Beijing, that is a double affront," it said. "Rijiju might think himself cute in borrowing a line from Beijing's diplomatic representations, but he has ignored the fundamental distinction here: Like Taiwan and any other part of China, Tibet is a part of the Chinese territory no matter whether New Delhi agrees or not," it said in the editorial. "Southern Tibet, on the other hand, was stolen from China by his country's former colonial master taking advantage of China's internal strife. Should he have any questions regarding the status of Southern Tibet, Rijiju can consult the historical archives," it said. "Neither the 'McMahon Line', by which New Delhi justifies its actual control of Southern Tibet nor the present-day 'Arunachal Pradesh' has Beijing's endorsement. In other words, Indian occupation of the area is legally untenable. Using it as leverage, therefore, is not just unethical, it is outright illicit," the editorial said. Despite the historical dispute, the China-India border area has by and large remained peaceful recently, particularly since Beijing and New Delhi began to get serious about border talks, it said. "If New Delhi chooses to play dirty, however, Beijing should not hesitate to answer blows with blows," the paper said. The aggressive editorials came after China yesterday lodged a protest over the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit to the area. The Dalai Lama is currently on a nine-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh. In its editorial, the ruling CPC-run Global Times criticised Rijiju for accompanying the Dalai Lama during his visit to the state. "The Dalai Lama has been to the disputed region before, but what makes this trip different is that he is received and accompanied by India's Junior Home Minister Kiren Rijiju. When China raised the concern over the visit, Rijiju commented that China shouldn't intervene in their 'internal affairs'," it said. "New Delhi probably overestimates its leverage in the bilateral ties with China. The two countries in recent years have continuously strived to improve their relationship and the peace on the border area has been maintained," it said. "India has benefited from the good momentum of bilateral relationship as much as China. If New Delhi ruins the Sino- India ties and the two countries turn into open rivals, can India afford the consequence?," the tabloid, known for striking aggressive nationalistic postures, said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Dalai Lama row: Now, China accuses India of 'fuelling tensions'

China said on Wednesday that India&#39;s decision to host Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on a contested stretch of land on the India-China border would cause serious damage to relations between the two countries.

The Dalai Lama&#39;s week-long trip to Arunchal Pradesh, an eastern Himalayan region administered by New Delhi, but claimed by China as &quot;southern Tibet&quot;, has raised hackles in Beijing, which labels the monk a dangerous separatist.

&quot;China expresses firm opposition to this and will lodge stern representations with the Indian side,&quot; foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying told a regular briefing in the Chinese capital.

The 81-year-old Buddhist monk and Nobel peace laureate had planned to fly by helicopter to the 17th-century Tawang monastery and hold three days of spiritual teachings starting on Wednesday. However, heavy rainfall forced him to travel by road - a two-day drive through rugged mountain terrain - and he is not now expected to arrive until Friday.

The Dalai Lama received a rapturous welcome on Tuesday in the town of Bomdila, with large crowds turning out in streets festooned with flags, as musicians and dancers clad in traditional costumes performed before his sport-utility vehicle. Later, the maroon-robed prelate walked slowly through the crowds, a fellow monk supporting him by the arm and another holding a large umbrella overhead to shield him from the rain.

Indian officials have dismissed China&#39;s criticism of the Dalai Lama&#39;s second visit to Arunachal Pradesh in eight years, saying he is a spiritual leader who has a devoted following in the region.

&quot;His visit to this part of the country is totally religious,&quot; the state&#39;s chief minister, Pema Khandu, told Reuters Television. &quot;As far as the boundary issue is concerned, I have also maintained that we don&#39;t share our boundary with China, but we share our boundary with Tibet.&quot;

SEVERELY DAMAGED

China has repeatedly criticised visits by foreign officials to Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls South Tibet and over which it has a long-standing claim.

In its latest broadside, Beijing said that by ignoring China&#39;s concerns and persisting in arranging the trip, India had &quot;severely damaged China&#39;s interests and China-India relations&quot;.

&quot;We demand that India immediately cease using the Dalai Lama&#39;s mistaken behaviour to damage China&#39;s interests,&quot; Hua added. &quot;It will not bring any benefit to India. China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and legitimate rights.&quot;

The Dalai Lama fled in 1959 over the border not far from the Tawang monastery, the largest of its kind in India. At the start of his tour, he was reunited with an elderly Indian border guard who had helped him to safety. He now resides in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala, where his supporters also run a small government in exile. He has renounced any political role in leading the Tibetan diaspora.

The Indian government has rejected China&#39;s criticism of the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit - his first to Arunachal Pradesh since 2009.

&quot;The government has clearly stated on several occasions that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader, who is deeply respected by the Indian people,&quot; it said in its latest statement on the matter. &quot;The government, therefore, urges that no artificial controversy be created around his present visit to Arunachal Pradesh.&quot;

(Reuters)

Despite China's wording, India called him a 'revered religious leader' and requested no 'artificial controversy' be created around his visit

China said on Wednesday that India's decision to host Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on a contested stretch of land on the India-China border would cause serious damage to relations between the two countries. The Dalai Lama's week-long trip to Arunchal Pradesh, an eastern Himalayan region administered by New Delhi, but claimed by China as "southern Tibet", has raised hackles in Beijing, which labels the monk a dangerous separatist. "China expresses firm opposition to this and will lodge stern representations with the Indian side," foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying told a regular briefing in the Chinese capital. The 81-year-old Buddhist monk and Nobel peace laureate had planned to fly by helicopter to the 17th-century Tawang monastery and hold three days of spiritual teachings starting on Wednesday. However, heavy rainfall forced him to travel by road - a two-day drive through rugged mountain terrain - and he is not now expected to arrive until Friday. The Dalai Lama received a rapturous welcome on Tuesday in the town of Bomdila, with large crowds turning out in streets festooned with flags, as musicians and dancers clad in traditional costumes performed before his sport-utility vehicle. Later, the maroon-robed prelate walked slowly through the crowds, a fellow monk supporting him by the arm and another holding a large umbrella overhead to shield him from the rain. Indian officials have dismissed China's criticism of the Dalai Lama's second visit to Arunachal Pradesh in eight years, saying he is a spiritual leader who has a devoted following in the region. "His visit to this part of the country is totally religious," the state's chief minister, Pema Khandu, told Reuters Television. "As far as the boundary issue is concerned, I have also maintained that we don't share our boundary with China, but we share our boundary with Tibet." SEVERELY DAMAGED China has repeatedly criticised visits by foreign officials to Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls South Tibet and over which it has a long-standing claim. In its latest broadside, Beijing said that by ignoring China's concerns and persisting in arranging the trip, India had "severely damaged China's interests and China-India relations". "We demand that India immediately cease using the Dalai Lama's mistaken behaviour to damage China's interests," Hua added. "It will not bring any benefit to India. China will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and legitimate rights." The Dalai Lama fled in 1959 over the border not far from the Tawang monastery, the largest of its kind in India. At the start of his tour, he was reunited with an elderly Indian border guard who had helped him to safety. He now resides in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala, where his supporters also run a small government in exile. He has renounced any political role in leading the Tibetan diaspora. The Indian government has rejected China's criticism of the Dalai Lama's visit - his first to Arunachal Pradesh since 2009. "The government has clearly stated on several occasions that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader, who is deeply respected by the Indian people," it said in its latest statement on the matter. "The government, therefore, urges that no artificial controversy be created around his present visit to Arunachal Pradesh." (Reuters)

China denounces India hosting Dalai Lama in Arunachal Pradesh

With China continuing to raise the heat on Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to India&#39;s north-eastern frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, India&mdash;in a veiled but stern message&mdash;today said that no &ldquo;artificial controversy&rdquo; should be created around this visit and added that &ldquo;nobody should have any problem on the visit&rdquo;. India also took this opportunity to underline that the status of Arunachal Pradesh is &ldquo;indisputable&rdquo;.

&ldquo;When Dalai Lama is in Arunachal Pradesh, he will be confined only to religious matters. He is not there to make any political statement or he is not there with any political motive. So, unnecessary issues should not be raked up due to this visit,&rdquo; Union minister of state for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, said today.

India&#39;s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), too, came out with a statement citing that the Tibetan spiritual leader, as per his website, had visited Arunachal Pradesh on six earlier occasions between 1983 and 2009.

&ldquo;The Government has clearly stated on several occasions that His Holiness Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader, who is deeply respected as such by the Indian people. No additional colour should be ascribed to his religious and spiritual activities and visits to various states of India. The Government, therefore, urges that no artificial controversy should be created around his present visit to Arunachal Pradesh,&rdquo; the MEA said.

Meanwhile, Rijiju said that Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to Arunachal Pradesh was in response to the &ldquo;wishes and appeals made by thousands of devotees&rdquo; and that during this visit, the Dalai Lama &ldquo;will be addressing, giving blessings to thousands of devotees in West Kameng district, Tawang district and Itanagar&rdquo;.

&ldquo;We have heard some comments from many quarters including the Chinese government. The people of Arunachal Pradesh desire to have a very good neighbourly relation with people with China. We never intend to have any kind of problem with our neighbours. India never interfered into the internal affairs of China. We also never questioned the Chinese sovereignty and India has respectfully adhered to One China policy. So we expect that China also should not interfere in our internal matters,&rdquo; Rijiju said.

&nbsp;

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The Dalai Lama is on a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims is part of Tibet (WION)
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The MoS also underlined that &ldquo;being a democratic and secular country, India cannot restrict or stop the visit or a programme of any religious leaders in our country&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The religious sentiments of every community must be given all freedom. That is why we expect that nobody should have any problem on the visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh,&rdquo; he added.

Rijiju also stated that &ldquo;Arunachal Pradesh is not a disputed territory&rdquo;. &ldquo;We have certain issues with regard to delineation or the boundary on the spots on the ground along McMahon Line&nbsp;because it is not being demarcated on the ground. That is why there is a talk between the special representatives of India and China and I hope and the people of Arunachal Pradesh hope that an amicable solution can be reached in the foreseeable future,&rdquo; he added.

&ldquo;But the status of AP is indisputable. Being a full fledged state of the Union of India, Arunachal Pradesh&#39;s status cannot be questioned. The territorial integrity of Arunachal Pradesh as a part of Indian union cannot be questioned. People of Arunachal Pradesh are upset by some people showing it as disputed territory. On behalf of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, I would like to appeal to our Chinese friends not to rake up this issue because as a neighbour we intend to have&nbsp;normal relations with China.&rdquo;

Rijiju, who will be joining Dalai Lama in Arunachal Pradesh on April 5 and would accompany him for the next three days, further said that the state government had accorded Dalai Lama the status of a state guest and all the facilities for the entire arrangement of his visit are being arranged by the state govt.

He reiterated that India did not &ldquo;intend to have any kind of damage in the relationship&rdquo; with China and that it respects Chinese sovereignty and expected that China would respect India&#39;s sovereignty in return.

Dalai Lama, who is on a nine-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, is slated to give a teaching and confer a White Tara Long Life Empowerment (drolkar tsewang) in the morning at the Buddha Park on April 5. On April 6, he will give teachings in Dirang on Geshe Langri Thangpa&#39;s Eight Verses of Training the Mind (lojong tsikgyema) &amp; Guru Yoga (lama neljor) and confer the Avalokiteshvara Permission (chenresig jenang) in the morning at Thupsung Dhargyeling Monastery. From April 8 to 10, he is scheduled to give teachings in Tawang. On the mornings of April 8 &amp; 9, the spiritual leader will give teachings on Kamalashila&#39;s The Middling States of Meditation (gomrim barpa) &amp; Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo&#39;s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma) at Yiga Choezin. On the morning of April 10 morning, he will confer the Rinzin Dhondup Initiation at Yiga Choezin.

(WION)

India also took this opportunity to underline that the status of Arunachal Pradesh is 'indisputable'

With China continuing to raise the heat on Dalai Lama's visit to India's north-eastern frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, India—in a veiled but stern message—today said that no “artificial controversy” should be created around this visit and added that “nobody should have any problem on the visit”. India also took this opportunity to underline that the status of Arunachal Pradesh is “indisputable”. “When Dalai Lama is in Arunachal Pradesh, he will be confined only to religious matters. He is not there to make any political statement or he is not there with any political motive. So, unnecessary issues should not be raked up due to this visit,” Union minister of state for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, said today. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), too, came out with a statement citing that the Tibetan spiritual leader, as per his website, had visited Arunachal Pradesh on six earlier occasions between 1983 and 2009. “The Government has clearly stated on several occasions that His Holiness Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader, who is deeply respected as such by the Indian people. No additional colour should be ascribed to his religious and spiritual activities and visits to various states of India. The Government, therefore, urges that no artificial controversy should be created around his present visit to Arunachal Pradesh,” the MEA said. Meanwhile, Rijiju said that Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh was in response to the “wishes and appeals made by thousands of devotees” and that during this visit, the Dalai Lama “will be addressing, giving blessings to thousands of devotees in West Kameng district, Tawang district and Itanagar”. “We have heard some comments from many quarters including the Chinese government. The people of Arunachal Pradesh desire to have a very good neighbourly relation with people with China. We never intend to have any kind of problem with our neighbours. India never interfered into the internal affairs of China. We also never questioned the Chinese sovereignty and India has respectfully adhered to One China policy. So we expect that China also should not interfere in our internal matters,” Rijiju said. The Dalai Lama is on a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims is part of Tibet (WION) × The MoS also underlined that “being a democratic and secular country, India cannot restrict or stop the visit or a programme of any religious leaders in our country”. “The religious sentiments of every community must be given all freedom. That is why we expect that nobody should have any problem on the visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh,” he added. Rijiju also stated that “Arunachal Pradesh is not a disputed territory”. “We have certain issues with regard to delineation or the boundary on the spots on the ground along McMahon Line because it is not being demarcated on the ground. That is why there is a talk between the special representatives of India and China and I hope and the people of Arunachal Pradesh hope that an amicable solution can be reached in the foreseeable future,” he added. “But the status of AP is indisputable. Being a full fledged state of the Union of India, Arunachal Pradesh's status cannot be questioned. The territorial integrity of Arunachal Pradesh as a part of Indian union cannot be questioned. People of Arunachal Pradesh are upset by some people showing it as disputed territory. On behalf of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, I would like to appeal to our Chinese friends not to rake up this issue because as a neighbour we intend to have normal relations with China.” Rijiju, who will be joining Dalai Lama in Arunachal Pradesh on April 5 and would accompany him for the next three days, further said that the state government had accorded Dalai Lama the status of a state guest and all the facilities for the entire arrangement of his visit are being arranged by the state govt. He reiterated that India did not “intend to have any kind of damage in the relationship” with China and that it respects Chinese sovereignty and expected that China would respect India's sovereignty in return. Dalai Lama, who is on a nine-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, is slated to give a teaching and confer a White Tara Long Life Empowerment (drolkar tsewang) in the morning at the Buddha Park on April 5. On April 6, he will give teachings in Dirang on Geshe Langri Thangpa's Eight Verses of Training the Mind (lojong tsikgyema) & Guru Yoga (lama neljor) and confer the Avalokiteshvara Permission (chenresig jenang) in the morning at Thupsung Dhargyeling Monastery. From April 8 to 10, he is scheduled to give teachings in Tawang. On the mornings of April 8 & 9, the spiritual leader will give teachings on Kamalashila's The Middling States of Meditation (gomrim barpa) & Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo's Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma) at Yiga Choezin. On the morning of April 10 morning, he will confer the Rinzin Dhondup Initiation at Yiga Choezin. (WION)

Nobody should have any problem with Dalai Lama's Arunachal Pradesh visit, India says

India is using the Dalai Lama as diplomatic leverage to challenge China&#39;s &quot;bottom line&quot;, Chinese state media said today, threatening that New Delhi may have &quot;underestimated&quot; Beijing&#39;s determination to protect its core interests.

The Chinese reaction to the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh came in an article in the state-run Global Times, which is part of the ruling Communist Party publications and is known for striking nationalistic postures.

&quot;Beijing has voiced concerns over the issue, but New Delhi claimed that China shouldn&#39;t intervene in its &#39;internal affairs&#39;,&quot; the article said, referring to Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju&#39;s comments yesterday.

&quot;This is absurd,&quot; the article said.

Rijiju has said India never interfered in Beijing&#39;s affairs, has respected the &quot;One China&quot; policy, and thus China should not interfere in India&#39;s internal affairs or object to the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit. &quot;There is no political angle behind his holiness&#39;s visit to Arunachal Pradesh. It is completely religious.&quot;

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<h5>unlike his predecessors, India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have taken a different stance on the Dalai issue, raising public engagements with the monk and challenging Beijing&#39;s bottom line</h5>
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Separately, External Affairs Ministry has said that no &quot;artificial controversy&quot; should be created about the visit.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry is yet to react to Rijiju&#39;s comments or the External Affairs statement yesterday.

However, the state media asked India to &quot;overcome its suspicion&quot; of Beijing. &quot;China doesn&#39;t allow India to free ride on its economic growth while jeopardising Beijing&#39;s core interests.&quot;

It warned, &quot;New Delhi may have underestimated Beijing&#39;s determination to safeguard its core interests. Many countries have pledged not to extend invitations to the Dalai Lama. As the two largest emerging economies, China and India have great potential for cooperation.&quot;

Today&#39;s article also accused India of playing the &quot;Tibet card&quot; as it is dissatisfied with Beijing&#39;s stance on India&#39;s bid for Nuclear Suppliers Group membership and its attempts to add Masood Azhar, the chief of Pakistan-backed militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), to a UN Security Council blacklist.

&quot;Therefore, Delhi attempts to play the Tibet card against Beijing,&quot; it said, adding that &quot;unlike his predecessors, India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have taken a different stance on the Dalai issue, raising public engagements with the monk and challenging Beijing&#39;s bottom line,&quot; it said.

India and China have had discussions on the two issues, yet the matters are far from being resolved, leading to strain in ties. Also, China is sensitive to the visit of the Dalai Lama, who it calls an &quot;anti-China separatist&quot;, to Arunachal&#39;s Tawang region which happens to be the birthplace in 1683 of the sixth Dalai Lama and is at the centre of Tibetan Buddhism.

China has in recent days upped its rhetoric on claims to parts of Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls southern Tibet, and even warned India of &quot;serious damage&quot; to ties if New Delhi allowed Tibet&#39;s exiled spiritual leader&#39;s visit to go ahead.

The article added, &quot;India is also exploring the option of linking the strategic border district of Tawang with a railway network, another provocation against Beijing. India has also invited a &#39;parliamentary delegation from Taiwan in February&#39;.&quot;

Citing other instances like the Dalai Lama&#39;s meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee in December, which Beijing sees as a &quot;provocation&quot;, it quoted Rijiju as having said to an international news agency in an interview that &quot;it&#39;s a behavioural change you are seeing. India is more assertive.&quot;

It said that the Dalai Lama is &quot;now openly used by India as a diplomatic tool to win more leverage.&quot;

Last night, another piece on the newspaper&#39;s website said India was using the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to Tawang &quot;to upset&quot; China.

An unnamed Chinese analyst told the newspaper that the 14th Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to Tawang will hurt Sino-Indian ties.

&quot;The Dalai&#39;s visit to the controversial area, especially Tawang, which China hopes will be returned, will affect relations between China and India,&quot; the analyst from the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the paper on the condition of anonymity.

The analyst too pointed out the religious significance of the Tawang to Tibetans, saying it&#39;s the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso.

The analyst said this was not the first time India has used the Dalai Lama to express its displeasure to China, especially when bilateral talks fail to include their demands or to &quot;pander to domestic anti-China issues&quot;. PTI&nbsp;

(PTI)

The state-run Global Times was commenting on the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh

India is using the Dalai Lama as diplomatic leverage to challenge China's "bottom line", Chinese state media said today, threatening that New Delhi may have "underestimated" Beijing's determination to protect its core interests. The Chinese reaction to the Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh came in an article in the state-run Global Times, which is part of the ruling Communist Party publications and is known for striking nationalistic postures. "Beijing has voiced concerns over the issue, but New Delhi claimed that China shouldn't intervene in its 'internal affairs'," the article said, referring to Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju's comments yesterday. "This is absurd," the article said. Rijiju has said India never interfered in Beijing's affairs, has respected the "One China" policy, and thus China should not interfere in India's internal affairs or object to the Dalai Lama's visit. "There is no political angle behind his holiness's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. It is completely religious." unlike his predecessors, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have taken a different stance on the Dalai issue, raising public engagements with the monk and challenging Beijing's bottom line × Separately, External Affairs Ministry has said that no "artificial controversy" should be created about the visit. The Chinese Foreign Ministry is yet to react to Rijiju's comments or the External Affairs statement yesterday. However, the state media asked India to "overcome its suspicion" of Beijing. "China doesn't allow India to free ride on its economic growth while jeopardising Beijing's core interests." It warned, "New Delhi may have underestimated Beijing's determination to safeguard its core interests. Many countries have pledged not to extend invitations to the Dalai Lama. As the two largest emerging economies, China and India have great potential for cooperation." Today's article also accused India of playing the "Tibet card" as it is dissatisfied with Beijing's stance on India's bid for Nuclear Suppliers Group membership and its attempts to add Masood Azhar, the chief of Pakistan-backed militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), to a UN Security Council blacklist. "Therefore, Delhi attempts to play the Tibet card against Beijing," it said, adding that "unlike his predecessors, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to have taken a different stance on the Dalai issue, raising public engagements with the monk and challenging Beijing's bottom line," it said. India and China have had discussions on the two issues, yet the matters are far from being resolved, leading to strain in ties. Also, China is sensitive to the visit of the Dalai Lama, who it calls an "anti-China separatist", to Arunachal's Tawang region which happens to be the birthplace in 1683 of the sixth Dalai Lama and is at the centre of Tibetan Buddhism. China has in recent days upped its rhetoric on claims to parts of Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls southern Tibet, and even warned India of "serious damage" to ties if New Delhi allowed Tibet's exiled spiritual leader's visit to go ahead. The article added, "India is also exploring the option of linking the strategic border district of Tawang with a railway network, another provocation against Beijing. India has also invited a 'parliamentary delegation from Taiwan in February'." Citing other instances like the Dalai Lama's meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee in December, which Beijing sees as a "provocation", it quoted Rijiju as having said to an international news agency in an interview that "it's a behavioural change you are seeing. India is more assertive." It said that the Dalai Lama is "now openly used by India as a diplomatic tool to win more leverage." Last night, another piece on the newspaper's website said India was using the Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang "to upset" China. An unnamed Chinese analyst told the newspaper that the 14th Dalai Lama's visit to Tawang will hurt Sino-Indian ties. "The Dalai's visit to the controversial area, especially Tawang, which China hopes will be returned, will affect relations between China and India," the analyst from the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the paper on the condition of anonymity. The analyst too pointed out the religious significance of the Tawang to Tibetans, saying it's the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso. The analyst said this was not the first time India has used the Dalai Lama to express its displeasure to China, especially when bilateral talks fail to include their demands or to "pander to domestic anti-China issues". PTI (PTI)

India may have 'underestimated' Beijing's resolve: Chinese media

The Dalai Lama escaped into India in 1959 after the Chinese invasion of Tibet.&nbsp;

On Sunday, in Guwahati, he met one of the five Indian soldiers who had escorted him over the border.&nbsp;

A visibly emotional Dalai Lama fell silent, saluted Naren Chandra Das, held him tight, and wiped away the tears from his eyes.

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<h5>Looking at your face, I am now feeling that I have also grown very old,&#39; the Dalai Lama said</h5>
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&quot;I am extremely happy to meet this old man who had escorted me in March 1959. This was about 58 years back,&quot;ANI quoted the Dalai Lama as saying.

The Dalai Lama, known to usually proffer quotable quotes, added: &quot;You must have been retired now. Looking at your face, I am now feeling that I have also grown very old,&quot; he added.

Das had been a havildar with the Assam rifles.&nbsp;

He was one of five soldiers who escorted the Dalai Lama over the border in March 1959.&nbsp;

Das is thought to be the last surviving member of that troupe.&nbsp;

Das was about 20 at the time. The Dalai Lama was 23.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The Dalai Lama fell silent, saluted Naren Chandra Das, held him tight, and wiped away tears from his eyes

The Dalai Lama escaped into India in 1959 after the Chinese invasion of Tibet. On Sunday, in Guwahati, he met one of the five Indian soldiers who had escorted him over the border. A visibly emotional Dalai Lama fell silent, saluted Naren Chandra Das, held him tight, and wiped away the tears from his eyes. Looking at your face, I am now feeling that I have also grown very old,' the Dalai Lama said × "I am extremely happy to meet this old man who had escorted me in March 1959. This was about 58 years back,"ANI quoted the Dalai Lama as saying. The Dalai Lama, known to usually proffer quotable quotes, added: "You must have been retired now. Looking at your face, I am now feeling that I have also grown very old," he added. Das had been a havildar with the Assam rifles. He was one of five soldiers who escorted the Dalai Lama over the border in March 1959. Das is thought to be the last surviving member of that troupe. Das was about 20 at the time. The Dalai Lama was 23. (WION with inputs from ANI)

58 years later, Dalai Lama meets soldier who escorted him to India from Tibet

China on Friday said it opposes plans by Indian government officials to host Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in a sensitive border region controlled by India but claimed by China.

Indian government representatives told Reuters in early March that officials would meet the Dalai Lama while he is on a religious trip to Arunachal Pradesh from April 4-13 and that as a secular democracy they would not stop him from travelling to any part of the country.

China claims the region in the eastern Himalayas as &quot;South Tibet&quot;, and has denounced foreign and even Indian leaders&#39; visits to the region as attempts to bolster New Delhi&#39;s territorial claims.

The trip by the Dalai Lama, whom the Chinese regard as a dangerous separatist, is expected to ratchet up frictions between New Delhi and Beijing over strategic issues such as China&#39;s growing ties with India&#39;s arch-rival Pakistan.

&quot;China resolutely opposes the 14th Dalai Lama visiting border regions disputed by China and India,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular briefing in Beijing.

China urges India to &quot;avoid taking any actions that would further complicate the border issue, do not provide a platform for the 14th Dalai clique&rsquo;s separatist activities,&quot; he said.

&quot;The Dalai clique has made disgraceful performances on the China-India border issue,&quot; he added.

Visits by the Dalai Lama are planned months, if not years, in advance, and approval for the trip predates recent disagreements between China and India.

The Dalai Lama is expected to meet junior home minister Kiren Rijiju, an Arunachal native and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s point man on Tibetan issues&nbsp;while visiting the Buddhist Tawang monastery.

The Dalai Lama last visited the monastery in 2009. He also briefly stayed there after fleeing Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

&quot;During the Dalai Lama&rsquo;s last visit to Tawang, he said that the area is part of India. This is untrue and it undermines friendly relations between China and India,&quot; Lian Xiangming, an academic from China&#39;s government-run China Tibetology Research Center, said on March 23 at an event in Beijing.

&quot;Historically, Tawang was under Deprung temple (in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa) and had to make contributions to the regional government, so this means that Tawang is in itself a part of Tibet,&quot; he said.

&quot;Given Tawang is a part of Tibet and Tibet is a part of China, it is hard to say there is any logical problem here.&quot;

(Reuters)

The trip by the Tibetan spiritual leader is expected to ratchet up frictions between New Delhi and Beijing over strategic issues

China on Friday said it opposes plans by Indian government officials to host Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in a sensitive border region controlled by India but claimed by China. Indian government representatives told Reuters in early March that officials would meet the Dalai Lama while he is on a religious trip to Arunachal Pradesh from April 4-13 and that as a secular democracy they would not stop him from travelling to any part of the country. China claims the region in the eastern Himalayas as "South Tibet", and has denounced foreign and even Indian leaders' visits to the region as attempts to bolster New Delhi's territorial claims. The trip by the Dalai Lama, whom the Chinese regard as a dangerous separatist, is expected to ratchet up frictions between New Delhi and Beijing over strategic issues such as China's growing ties with India's arch-rival Pakistan. "China resolutely opposes the 14th Dalai Lama visiting border regions disputed by China and India," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular briefing in Beijing. China urges India to "avoid taking any actions that would further complicate the border issue, do not provide a platform for the 14th Dalai clique’s separatist activities," he said. "The Dalai clique has made disgraceful performances on the China-India border issue," he added. Visits by the Dalai Lama are planned months, if not years, in advance, and approval for the trip predates recent disagreements between China and India. The Dalai Lama is expected to meet junior home minister Kiren Rijiju, an Arunachal native and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's point man on Tibetan issues while visiting the Buddhist Tawang monastery. The Dalai Lama last visited the monastery in 2009. He also briefly stayed there after fleeing Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule. "During the Dalai Lama’s last visit to Tawang, he said that the area is part of India. This is untrue and it undermines friendly relations between China and India," Lian Xiangming, an academic from China's government-run China Tibetology Research Center, said on March 23 at an event in Beijing. "Historically, Tawang was under Deprung temple (in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa) and had to make contributions to the regional government, so this means that Tawang is in itself a part of Tibet," he said. "Given Tawang is a part of Tibet and Tibet is a part of China, it is hard to say there is any logical problem here." (Reuters)

China warns India on Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh

India will receive Buddhist religious leader Dalai Lama during his trip to its north-eastern border state flanking China, Arunachal Pradesh, despite Beijing&#39;s warning that this will damage ties. China claims the state as its territory. New Delhi, on its part, has said&nbsp;India that as a secular democracy it will not stop him from travelling to any part of the country.

China has called visits by Indian and foreign leaders to the region an attempt by New Delhi to claim the territory. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In fact, India&#39;s junior internal minister Kiren&nbsp;Rijiju said that he will visit the Dalai Lama during his visit to the Tawang Buddhist monastery next month. The Dalai Lama is visiting the monastery after eight years. Rijiju, who is from Arunachal Pradesh and is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s man for Tibetan issues, said: &quot;He is going there as a religious leader, there is no reason to stop him. His devotees are demanding he should come, what harm can he do? He is a lama.&quot;

The Chinese consider the Dalai Lama a dangerous separatist, and his visit may ratchet up tensions at a time when New Delhi is at odds with China on strategic and security issues, and unnerved by Beijing&#39;s growing ties with arch-rival Pakistan.

The Modi&nbsp;government has been keen to increase its public engagement with the Tibetan leader, a significant moving away from India&#39;s earlier line of keeping him at an arm&#39;s length for fear of upsetting Beijing.

&quot;It&#39;s a behavioural change you are seeing. India is more assertive,&quot; Rijiju told Reuters in an interview.&nbsp;

&quot;The Dalai clique has for a long time carried out anti-China separatist activities and on the issue of the China-India border has a history of disgraceful performances,&quot; Chinese spokesperson&nbsp;Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing.

China investing nearby

While the Dalai Lama&#39;s current visit was initiated months in advance, and approval for the April 4-13 trip predates India&#39;s recent disagreements with China, the move to go ahead with the visit under the present circumstances points to the Modi government&#39;s willingness to use diplomatic tools at a time when China&#39;s economic and political clout across South Asia is growing.

China is helping to fund a new trade corridor across Pakistan, and has also invested in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, raising fears of strategic encirclement&nbsp;-- called a string of pearls by India and United States.

A Taiwanese parliamentary delegation&#39;s visit to Delhi last month, also angered&nbsp;Beijing, which regards Taiwan as an integral part of China. 
In December, President Pranab Mukherjee hosted the Dalai Lama at his official residence with other Nobel prize winners, the first public meeting with an Indian head of state in 60 years.

Some officials said India&#39;s approach to the Tibetan issue remained cautious, reflecting a gradual evolution in policy rather than a sudden shift, and Modi appears reluctant to go too far for fear of upsetting its large northern neighbour.

India&#39;s foreign secretary, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, was in Beijing last week on a visit that analysts said was aimed at stabilising relations between the world&#39;s most populous countries.

Tangible shift

That said, Modi&#39;s desire to pursue a more assertive foreign policy since his election in 2014 was quickly felt in contacts with China.

At one bilateral meeting early in his tenure, Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj asked her Chinese counterpart whether Beijing had a &quot;one India&quot; policy, according to a source familiar with India-China talks, a pointed reference to Beijing`s demand that countries recognise its &quot;one China&quot; policy.

&quot;One India&quot; would imply that China recognise India`s claims to Kashmir, contested by Pakistan, as well as border regions like Arunachal Pradesh.

India`s hosting of the Dalai Lama since he fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule has long irritated Beijing. But government ministers often shied away from regular public meetings with the Buddhist monk.

&quot;These meetings were happening before. Now it is public,&quot; Lobsang Sangay, head of the Tibetan government-in-exile based in the Indian town of Dharamsala, said in an interview.

&quot;I notice a tangible shift. With all the Chinese investments in all the neighbouring countries, that has generated debate within India,&quot; he said.

The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, a member of Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party, met the Dalai Lama in New Delhi in October and officially invited him to visit the state.

On the Dalai Lama`s last visit in 2009, the state`s chief minister met him. This time he will be joined by federal minister Rijiju, a move the Chinese may see as giving the trip an official imprimatur.

New Delhi has been hurt by China&#39;s refusal to let it join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the global cartel that controls nuclear commerce.

India has also criticised Beijing for stonewalling its request to add the head of a banned Pakistani militant group to a UN&nbsp;Security Council blacklist.

Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University, said New Delhi appeared to have been surprised by China&#39;s inflexibility since Modi came to power, fuelling distrust in the Indian security establishment. 
 
&quot;India does feel that the cards are stacked against it and that it should retain and play the cards that it does have,&quot; he said. &quot;The Dalai Lama and Tibetan exile community is clearly one of those cards.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Beijing warned the visit will damage ties as it regards the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist

India will receive Buddhist religious leader Dalai Lama during his trip to its north-eastern border state flanking China, Arunachal Pradesh, despite Beijing's warning that this will damage ties. China claims the state as its territory. New Delhi, on its part, has said India that as a secular democracy it will not stop him from travelling to any part of the country. China has called visits by Indian and foreign leaders to the region an attempt by New Delhi to claim the territory. In fact, India's junior internal minister Kiren Rijiju said that he will visit the Dalai Lama during his visit to the Tawang Buddhist monastery next month. The Dalai Lama is visiting the monastery after eight years. Rijiju, who is from Arunachal Pradesh and is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's man for Tibetan issues, said: "He is going there as a religious leader, there is no reason to stop him. His devotees are demanding he should come, what harm can he do? He is a lama." The Chinese consider the Dalai Lama a dangerous separatist, and his visit may ratchet up tensions at a time when New Delhi is at odds with China on strategic and security issues, and unnerved by Beijing's growing ties with arch-rival Pakistan. The Modi government has been keen to increase its public engagement with the Tibetan leader, a significant moving away from India's earlier line of keeping him at an arm's length for fear of upsetting Beijing. "It's a behavioural change you are seeing. India is more assertive," Rijiju told Reuters in an interview. "The Dalai clique has for a long time carried out anti-China separatist activities and on the issue of the China-India border has a history of disgraceful performances," Chinese spokesperson Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing. China investing nearby While the Dalai Lama's current visit was initiated months in advance, and approval for the April 4-13 trip predates India's recent disagreements with China, the move to go ahead with the visit under the present circumstances points to the Modi government's willingness to use diplomatic tools at a time when China's economic and political clout across South Asia is growing. China is helping to fund a new trade corridor across Pakistan, and has also invested in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, raising fears of strategic encirclement -- called a string of pearls by India and United States. A Taiwanese parliamentary delegation's visit to Delhi last month, also angered Beijing, which regards Taiwan as an integral part of China. In December, President Pranab Mukherjee hosted the Dalai Lama at his official residence with other Nobel prize winners, the first public meeting with an Indian head of state in 60 years. Some officials said India's approach to the Tibetan issue remained cautious, reflecting a gradual evolution in policy rather than a sudden shift, and Modi appears reluctant to go too far for fear of upsetting its large northern neighbour. India's foreign secretary, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, was in Beijing last week on a visit that analysts said was aimed at stabilising relations between the world's most populous countries. Tangible shift That said, Modi's desire to pursue a more assertive foreign policy since his election in 2014 was quickly felt in contacts with China. At one bilateral meeting early in his tenure, Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj asked her Chinese counterpart whether Beijing had a "one India" policy, according to a source familiar with India-China talks, a pointed reference to Beijing`s demand that countries recognise its "one China" policy. "One India" would imply that China recognise India`s claims to Kashmir, contested by Pakistan, as well as border regions like Arunachal Pradesh. India`s hosting of the Dalai Lama since he fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule has long irritated Beijing. But government ministers often shied away from regular public meetings with the Buddhist monk. "These meetings were happening before. Now it is public," Lobsang Sangay, head of the Tibetan government-in-exile based in the Indian town of Dharamsala, said in an interview. "I notice a tangible shift. With all the Chinese investments in all the neighbouring countries, that has generated debate within India," he said. The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, a member of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, met the Dalai Lama in New Delhi in October and officially invited him to visit the state. On the Dalai Lama`s last visit in 2009, the state`s chief minister met him. This time he will be joined by federal minister Rijiju, a move the Chinese may see as giving the trip an official imprimatur. New Delhi has been hurt by China's refusal to let it join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the global cartel that controls nuclear commerce. India has also criticised Beijing for stonewalling its request to add the head of a banned Pakistani militant group to a UN Security Council blacklist. Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University, said New Delhi appeared to have been surprised by China's inflexibility since Modi came to power, fuelling distrust in the Indian security establishment. "India does feel that the cards are stacked against it and that it should retain and play the cards that it does have," he said. "The Dalai Lama and Tibetan exile community is clearly one of those cards." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Indian minister to welcome Dalai Lama in Arunachal Pradesh despite China warning

China expressed dissatisfaction on Friday (December 16) after exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama met with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, saying it hoped India could understand the separatist nature of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk.

Mukherjee hosted the Dalai Lama along with other Nobel Peace prize winners to a conference at the presidential palace on the rights of children on Dec. 10. Among the others who attended the meeting and spoke were Princess Charlene of Monaco and former President of East Timor Jose Ramos-Horta.

China&#39;s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the country was strongly dissatisfied and urged India to respect its core interests and major concerns.

&quot;Recently, the Indian side ignored China&#39;s solemn representations and strong opposition and insisted on arranging for the 14th Dalai to go to the Indian presidential palace, be on the same stage at an event with the president and arrange for president Mukherjee to meet the Dalai. China is strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed to this,&quot; Geng told a daily news briefing.

&quot;China urges India to recognise the anti-China, separatist essence of the Dalai clique and to earnestly respect China&#39;s core interests and major concerns and take effective steps to banish the negative impact of this incident to avoid disturbances to the china-India relationship,&quot; he added.

China regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist, though he says he merely seeks genuine autonomy for his Himalayan homeland Tibet, which Communist Chinese troops &quot;peacefully liberated&quot; in 1950.

The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rise.

China also expressed displeasure with India earlier this month at the visit to a sensitive border region of another senior Tibetan religious, the Karmapa Lama, Tibetan Buddhism&#39;s third-most-senior figure who fled into exile in India in 2000.

India is home to a large exiled Tibetan community.

(Reuters)

China's foreign ministry spokesman urged India to respect its 'core interests and major concerns'

China expressed dissatisfaction on Friday (December 16) after exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama met with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, saying it hoped India could understand the separatist nature of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk. Mukherjee hosted the Dalai Lama along with other Nobel Peace prize winners to a conference at the presidential palace on the rights of children on Dec. 10. Among the others who attended the meeting and spoke were Princess Charlene of Monaco and former President of East Timor Jose Ramos-Horta. China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the country was strongly dissatisfied and urged India to respect its core interests and major concerns. "Recently, the Indian side ignored China's solemn representations and strong opposition and insisted on arranging for the 14th Dalai to go to the Indian presidential palace, be on the same stage at an event with the president and arrange for president Mukherjee to meet the Dalai. China is strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed to this," Geng told a daily news briefing. "China urges India to recognise the anti-China, separatist essence of the Dalai clique and to earnestly respect China's core interests and major concerns and take effective steps to banish the negative impact of this incident to avoid disturbances to the china-India relationship," he added. China regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist, though he says he merely seeks genuine autonomy for his Himalayan homeland Tibet, which Communist Chinese troops "peacefully liberated" in 1950. The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rise. China also expressed displeasure with India earlier this month at the visit to a sensitive border region of another senior Tibetan religious, the Karmapa Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's third-most-senior figure who fled into exile in India in 2000. India is home to a large exiled Tibetan community. (Reuters)

China upset as Dalai Lama meets Indian President Pranab Mukherjee

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said on Wednesday that he would visit US President-elect Donald Trump, a meeting that would infuriate Beijing which views the Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk as a dangerous separatist.

Speaking during a visit to Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar and asked about the US election, the Dalai Lama said he had always considered the United States a &quot;leading nation of the free world&quot;.

&quot;I think there are some problems to go to United States, so I will go to see the new president,&quot; he told reporters, without elaborating.

President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama at the White House in June despite a warning by China that it would damage diplomatic relations. It was Obama&#39;s fourth White House meeting with the Dalai Lama in the past eight years.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the Dalai Lama travelled the globe seeking audiences with foreign leaders to try to damage relations between them and China.

&quot;We hope the international community can further see clearly the anti-China, separatist essence of the Dalai Lama, and appropriately and cautiously handle Tibet-related issues,&quot; Geng told a daily news briefing.

The Dalai Lama, speaking in English, brushed off some of the US election campaign rhetoric.

&quot;Sometimes I feel during election the candidate has more freedom to express. Once elected, having the responsibility, then they have to tell you their sort of vision, their works according to reality.&quot;

China regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist, though he says he merely seeks genuine autonomy for his Himalayan homeland Tibet, which Communist Chinese troops &quot;peacefully liberated&quot; in 1950.

China has been angered by Mongolia&#39;s decision to allow him to visit, though Mongolia&#39;s Foreign Ministry said in a statement to the Montsame news agency that the government had nothing to do with the trip, which they said was arranged by Mongolian Buddhists.

After the Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to Mongolia in 2006, China briefly cancelled flights between Beijing and Ulaanbaatar.

Beijing frequently expresses its anger with countries that host the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against the Chinese.

Rights groups and exiles accuse China of trampling on the religious and cultural rights of the Tibetan people, charges strongly denied by Beijing, which says its rule has ended serfdom and brought prosperity to a once backward region. 
 
(Reuters)

China has been angered by Mongolia's decision to allow Dalai Lama to visit, though Mongolia denies it had anything to do with the trip

Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said on Wednesday that he would visit US President-elect Donald Trump, a meeting that would infuriate Beijing which views the Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk as a dangerous separatist. Speaking during a visit to Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar and asked about the US election, the Dalai Lama said he had always considered the United States a "leading nation of the free world". "I think there are some problems to go to United States, so I will go to see the new president," he told reporters, without elaborating. President Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama at the White House in June despite a warning by China that it would damage diplomatic relations. It was Obama's fourth White House meeting with the Dalai Lama in the past eight years. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the Dalai Lama travelled the globe seeking audiences with foreign leaders to try to damage relations between them and China. "We hope the international community can further see clearly the anti-China, separatist essence of the Dalai Lama, and appropriately and cautiously handle Tibet-related issues," Geng told a daily news briefing. The Dalai Lama, speaking in English, brushed off some of the US election campaign rhetoric. "Sometimes I feel during election the candidate has more freedom to express. Once elected, having the responsibility, then they have to tell you their sort of vision, their works according to reality." China regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist, though he says he merely seeks genuine autonomy for his Himalayan homeland Tibet, which Communist Chinese troops "peacefully liberated" in 1950. China has been angered by Mongolia's decision to allow him to visit, though Mongolia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement to the Montsame news agency that the government had nothing to do with the trip, which they said was arranged by Mongolian Buddhists. After the Dalai Lama's visit to Mongolia in 2006, China briefly cancelled flights between Beijing and Ulaanbaatar. Beijing frequently expresses its anger with countries that host the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against the Chinese. Rights groups and exiles accuse China of trampling on the religious and cultural rights of the Tibetan people, charges strongly denied by Beijing, which says its rule has ended serfdom and brought prosperity to a once backward region. (Reuters)

Dalai Lama to visit Trump, China 'hopes international community sees separatist stance'

Narrow lanes hiding the flashes of Tibetan marvels, the faint smell of burning incense, women in traditional attire making fresh momos and the echoes of the singing bowl -- doesn&#39;t it form a beautiful picture?

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7KavCpmprLU" width="560"></iframe>

We are talking about the &#39;Little Tibet&#39; situated in Delhi on the banks of river Yamuna. Majnu ka Tilla or MKT, as it is popularly known, houses Tibetan refugees. &nbsp;The colony serves as their home away from home and is replete with hotels, shops, guest houses and monasteries.

This alternate setting seems completely untouched by the changing times. Experience this magical journey in about 5 minutes through this video!

This alternate setting seems completely untouched by the changing times

Narrow lanes hiding the flashes of Tibetan marvels, the faint smell of burning incense, women in traditional attire making fresh momos and the echoes of the singing bowl -- doesn't it form a beautiful picture? We are talking about the 'Little Tibet' situated in Delhi on the banks of river Yamuna. Majnu ka Tilla or MKT, as it is popularly known, houses Tibetan refugees. The colony serves as their home away from home and is replete with hotels, shops, guest houses and monasteries. This alternate setting seems completely untouched by the changing times. Experience this magical journey in about 5 minutes through this video!

Video: Little Tibet - A home away from home

A second Tibetan was arrested and sent to prison in China&rsquo;s Sichuan province for celebrating the birthday of the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, over a social media app WeChat, RFA&rsquo;s Tibetan Service said. Argya Gya now joins at least one other prisoner, another Tibetan monk named Lodroe, in a Chinese prison in Lunggu for celebrating the Dalai Lama&rsquo;s 80th birthday last year. &nbsp; 
 
Gya, formerly a monk at Kirti monastery in Sichuan&rsquo;s Ngaba county was taken into custody on November 18, 2015. Gya had earlier served a three-year term in Sichuan&rsquo;s Mianyang prison in connection with the self-immolation in 2011 of another Kirti Monastery monk.&nbsp; 
 
Scores of Tibetans gathered at monasteries in western China&rsquo;s Qinghai and Gansu provinces last year to protest against Chinese bans to celebrate the birthday of the Dalai Lama, despite warnings by officials to observe the poltically sensitive event. The protesters burned incense sticks and offered prayers to the exiled spiritual leader.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
As many as 145 Tibetans set themselves ablaze in a wave of heated protests that began in 2009, most of which featured demands for Tibetan freedom and the Dalai Lama&rsquo;s return from India. According to the Chinese administration governing Tibet, the unrest was orchestrated by the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since 1959&rsquo;s failed national uprising.&nbsp;

Argya Gya joins another monk for their involvement in a chat group celebrating Dalai Lama's 80th birthday last year

A second Tibetan was arrested and sent to prison in China’s Sichuan province for celebrating the birthday of the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, over a social media app WeChat, RFA’s Tibetan Service said. Argya Gya now joins at least one other prisoner, another Tibetan monk named Lodroe, in a Chinese prison in Lunggu for celebrating the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday last year. Gya, formerly a monk at Kirti monastery in Sichuan’s Ngaba county was taken into custody on November 18, 2015. Gya had earlier served a three-year term in Sichuan’s Mianyang prison in connection with the self-immolation in 2011 of another Kirti Monastery monk. Scores of Tibetans gathered at monasteries in western China’s Qinghai and Gansu provinces last year to protest against Chinese bans to celebrate the birthday of the Dalai Lama, despite warnings by officials to observe the poltically sensitive event. The protesters burned incense sticks and offered prayers to the exiled spiritual leader. As many as 145 Tibetans set themselves ablaze in a wave of heated protests that began in 2009, most of which featured demands for Tibetan freedom and the Dalai Lama’s return from India. According to the Chinese administration governing Tibet, the unrest was orchestrated by the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since 1959’s failed national uprising.

China jails second Tibetan for celebrating Dalai Lama's birthday over WeChat

The Tibetans-in-exile will celebrate the 81st birthday of their spiritual head, the 14th Dalai Lama. today. This year the Dalai Lama will attend the birthday celebrations at Tibetan settlement in Mundgod. 
 
However, the celebrations will be held at different places, including the exile head quarters at Dharamsala here. 
 
Spokesperson of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Tashi Phungstok said, &quot;There will be few prize distributions and book release. There will also be dances by different schools. The celebration will be attended by the Sikyong, who is the leader of the central Tibetan administration and speaker of Tibetan parliament-in-exile.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Lhakpa Tsering, a retired Tibetan official, said the Dalai Lama&#39;s 81st birthday is being celebrated at a Tibetan settlement called Mundgod, which is also one of the biggest settlements. 
 
Born on July 6, 1935 in Taktser, China, the 14th Dalai Lama is one of the longest serving Dalai Lamas of the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism. Dalai Lamas are important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism, which is nominally headed by the Ganden Tripas. The Dalai Lama has been conferred the Nobel Peace Prize, the Templeton Prize and many honorary degrees and other awards.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)

Born on July 6, 1935 in Taktser, China, the 14th Dalai Lama is one of the longest serving

The Tibetans-in-exile will celebrate the 81st birthday of their spiritual head, the 14th Dalai Lama. today. This year the Dalai Lama will attend the birthday celebrations at Tibetan settlement in Mundgod. However, the celebrations will be held at different places, including the exile head quarters at Dharamsala here. Spokesperson of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Tashi Phungstok said, "There will be few prize distributions and book release. There will also be dances by different schools. The celebration will be attended by the Sikyong, who is the leader of the central Tibetan administration and speaker of Tibetan parliament-in-exile." Lhakpa Tsering, a retired Tibetan official, said the Dalai Lama's 81st birthday is being celebrated at a Tibetan settlement called Mundgod, which is also one of the biggest settlements. Born on July 6, 1935 in Taktser, China, the 14th Dalai Lama is one of the longest serving Dalai Lamas of the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism. Dalai Lamas are important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism, which is nominally headed by the Ganden Tripas. The Dalai Lama has been conferred the Nobel Peace Prize, the Templeton Prize and many honorary degrees and other awards. (ANI)

Dalai Lama to mark 81st birthday at Dharamsala today

The United States should not interfere in China&#39;s internal affairs on matters related to Tibet, China&#39;s foreign minister Wang Yi told US secretary of state John Kerry in a phone call on Saturday. 
 
According to an account of the call posted on the Chinese foreign ministry website, Kerry reaffirmed that there was no change in the US policy that Tibet is a part of China and that the US does not support Tibetan independence. 
 
The phone call follows on from President Barack Obama&#39;s meeting with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, last week at the White House despite China warning it would damage diplomatic relations. 
 
China views the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist. The meeting came at a time of already heightened tensions between the US and China over Beijing&#39;s pursuit of territorial claims in East Asia. 
 
On the call, Wang and Kerry also discussed the success of the recently concluded bilateral Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SED) in Beijing, according to the foreign ministry posting, which did not give specifics.

Obama's meeting with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, last week at the White House prompted the phone call

The United States should not interfere in China's internal affairs on matters related to Tibet, China's foreign minister Wang Yi told US secretary of state John Kerry in a phone call on Saturday. According to an account of the call posted on the Chinese foreign ministry website, Kerry reaffirmed that there was no change in the US policy that Tibet is a part of China and that the US does not support Tibetan independence. The phone call follows on from President Barack Obama's meeting with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, last week at the White House despite China warning it would damage diplomatic relations. China views the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist. The meeting came at a time of already heightened tensions between the US and China over Beijing's pursuit of territorial claims in East Asia. On the call, Wang and Kerry also discussed the success of the recently concluded bilateral Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SED) in Beijing, according to the foreign ministry posting, which did not give specifics.

China foreign minister calls John Kerry, asks US not to interfere with Tibet

US President Barack Obama met the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, at the White House on Wednesday, despite a warning from China that it would damage diplomatic relations. 
 
The meeting came at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and China over Beijing&rsquo;s assertive pursuit of territorial claims in East Asia.&nbsp; 
 
Obama&#39;s fourth White House meeting with the Dalai Lama in the past eight years took place in the White House residence, instead of the Oval Office where the president normally meets world leaders. 
 
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the choice of the residence emphasized the &quot;personal nature of their meeting&quot;. 
 
He said Obama thanked the Dalai Lama for his condolences for the victims of Sunday&#39;s mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. 
 
Earnest added that Obama had in the past spoken of his &quot;warm personal feelings&quot; for the Dalai Lama, appreciation of his teachings and belief &quot;in preserving Tibet&#39;s unique religious, cultural and linguistic traditions&quot;. 
 
At the same time, Earnest said the US position of considering Tibet part of China had not changed. 
 
In an interview with Fox News later on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama said he and Obama talked about the current situation in Tibet. 
 
He denied he was seeking independence and that it was in Tibet&#39;s interests to remain part of China, &quot;provided we should have full right for preservation of our own culture, or rich Buddhist knowledge, knowledge of Buddhist philosophy, these things&quot;. 
 
The Dalai Lama also noted in the interview that Chinese President Xi Jinping had said Buddhism was an important part of Chinese culture. 
 
&quot;So this is something new, for a leader of a Communist party, you see, mentioning some positive things about leader of Buddhism, wonderful.&quot; 
 
&#39;The Tibet card&#39; 
 
China&#39;s foreign ministry said earlier it had lodged diplomatic representations with the United States over the planned meeting, saying it would damage Chinese-US ties. 
 
China considers the Dalai Lama a dangerous separatist, and ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the meeting would encourage &quot;separatist forces&quot;. He urged Washington to abide by its promises to recognise that Tibet is part of China and cease any support for Tibet independence. 
 
A commentary on China&#39;s official news agency, Xinhua, accused Washington of breaking its promise not to support Tibet&#39;s independence by going ahead with the meeting. It said that had &quot;seriously jeopardized China-US relations, and deeply hurt the Chinese people&#39;s feelings&quot;. 
 
&quot;Supporting Tibet&#39;s independence is a clear interference in China&#39;s internal affairs and is in gross violation of the norms of international relations. Playing the &#39;Tibet card&#39; shows the US government is overdrawing its political credit and international prestige.&quot; 
 
When Obama last met the Dalai Lama at the White House in 2014, he angered China by vowing &quot;strong support&quot; for Tibetans&#39; human rights. 
 
The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, said in the Fox News interview that China would eventually have to become more open. 
 
&quot;So ... Chinese people, including leaders, I think are getting some new experiences, so things will change,&quot; he said, adding there was no future in maintaining such tight social control. 
 
&#39;Trust, frienship essential&#39; 
 
The Dalai Lama said in an interview that the disputes between China and its neighbours in the South China Sea should be resolved through dialogue. 
 
He said China faced no threat from other Asian countries and as a big and ancient nation should pursue reconciliation and friendship. &ldquo;Long term, it&rsquo;s in China&rsquo;s own interests,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Trust and friendship with neighbouring countries is essential; including the United States also.&rdquo; 
 
On Wednesday, a Chinese observation ship shadowed the US aircraft carrier John C. Stennis in the Western Pacific, the carrier&#39;s commander said, as it joined warships from Japan and India for drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard. 
 
Japan and the United States worry that China is extending its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea, expanding and building on islands. 
 
China has been angered by what it views as provocative US military patrols close to the islands. The United States says the patrols are to protect freedom of navigation. 
 
On Tuesday, Beijing also warned Washington to stick to its &ldquo;one-China&rdquo; policy over Taiwan ahead of an overseas trip by Taipei&rsquo;s new president, Tsai Ing-wen, who will transit though Miami from June 24 to 25 and Los Angeles from June 30 to July 1 on her way to and from Panama and Paraguay. 
 
A US State Department spokeswoman, Anna Richey-Allen, said the visit would be &ldquo;private and unofficial&rdquo; and the transits handled in accordance with the &ldquo;unofficial nature of the (US) relationship with Taiwan&rdquo;. 
 
&ldquo;There is no change to the US &lsquo;One-China&rsquo; policy,&rdquo; she said, adding that Tsai would be greeted as a courtesy in Miami and Los Angeles by officials of the American Institute in Taiwan, a de facto embassy that handles US relations with Taiwan. 
(Reuters)

Comes as Japan and the US worry that Beijing is pushing territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea

US President Barack Obama met the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, at the White House on Wednesday, despite a warning from China that it would damage diplomatic relations. The meeting came at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and China over Beijing’s assertive pursuit of territorial claims in East Asia. Obama's fourth White House meeting with the Dalai Lama in the past eight years took place in the White House residence, instead of the Oval Office where the president normally meets world leaders. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the choice of the residence emphasized the "personal nature of their meeting". He said Obama thanked the Dalai Lama for his condolences for the victims of Sunday's mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Earnest added that Obama had in the past spoken of his "warm personal feelings" for the Dalai Lama, appreciation of his teachings and belief "in preserving Tibet's unique religious, cultural and linguistic traditions". At the same time, Earnest said the US position of considering Tibet part of China had not changed. In an interview with Fox News later on Wednesday, the Dalai Lama said he and Obama talked about the current situation in Tibet. He denied he was seeking independence and that it was in Tibet's interests to remain part of China, "provided we should have full right for preservation of our own culture, or rich Buddhist knowledge, knowledge of Buddhist philosophy, these things". The Dalai Lama also noted in the interview that Chinese President Xi Jinping had said Buddhism was an important part of Chinese culture. "So this is something new, for a leader of a Communist party, you see, mentioning some positive things about leader of Buddhism, wonderful." 'The Tibet card' China's foreign ministry said earlier it had lodged diplomatic representations with the United States over the planned meeting, saying it would damage Chinese-US ties. China considers the Dalai Lama a dangerous separatist, and ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the meeting would encourage "separatist forces". He urged Washington to abide by its promises to recognise that Tibet is part of China and cease any support for Tibet independence. A commentary on China's official news agency, Xinhua, accused Washington of breaking its promise not to support Tibet's independence by going ahead with the meeting. It said that had "seriously jeopardized China-US relations, and deeply hurt the Chinese people's feelings". "Supporting Tibet's independence is a clear interference in China's internal affairs and is in gross violation of the norms of international relations. Playing the 'Tibet card' shows the US government is overdrawing its political credit and international prestige." When Obama last met the Dalai Lama at the White House in 2014, he angered China by vowing "strong support" for Tibetans' human rights. The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, said in the Fox News interview that China would eventually have to become more open. "So ... Chinese people, including leaders, I think are getting some new experiences, so things will change," he said, adding there was no future in maintaining such tight social control. 'Trust, frienship essential' The Dalai Lama said in an interview that the disputes between China and its neighbours in the South China Sea should be resolved through dialogue. He said China faced no threat from other Asian countries and as a big and ancient nation should pursue reconciliation and friendship. “Long term, it’s in China’s own interests,” he said. “Trust and friendship with neighbouring countries is essential; including the United States also.” On Wednesday, a Chinese observation ship shadowed the US aircraft carrier John C. Stennis in the Western Pacific, the carrier's commander said, as it joined warships from Japan and India for drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard. Japan and the United States worry that China is extending its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea, expanding and building on islands. China has been angered by what it views as provocative US military patrols close to the islands. The United States says the patrols are to protect freedom of navigation. On Tuesday, Beijing also warned Washington to stick to its “one-China” policy over Taiwan ahead of an overseas trip by Taipei’s new president, Tsai Ing-wen, who will transit though Miami from June 24 to 25 and Los Angeles from June 30 to July 1 on her way to and from Panama and Paraguay. A US State Department spokeswoman, Anna Richey-Allen, said the visit would be “private and unofficial” and the transits handled in accordance with the “unofficial nature of the (US) relationship with Taiwan”. “There is no change to the US ‘One-China’ policy,” she said, adding that Tsai would be greeted as a courtesy in Miami and Los Angeles by officials of the American Institute in Taiwan, a de facto embassy that handles US relations with Taiwan. (Reuters)

Obama meets 'dangerous separatist' Dalai Lama despite warning from China

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday called the massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, a &quot;very serious tragedy&quot;, but said it was wrong to see all Muslims as potential terrorists. 
 
Asked in an interview with Reuters about U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump&#39;s reiteration of a call after the shooting for a ban on Muslims entering the country, the Dalai Lama said the billionaire businessman was entitled to his opinion. 
 
However, he added that if he had a chance, he would ask Trump &quot;What&#39;s his reason? More detail&quot;. 
 
The Dalai Lama said that in every religious community, including Buddhist ones, &quot;there are some mischievous people&quot;. 
 
&quot;But you cannot generalise&quot;, he said. &quot;Some individual Muslims may carry out some terrorist activities, but better we should not say &#39;Muslim terrorists.&#39; I think that&#39;s wrong&quot;. 
 
Fifty people, including the gunman, the U.S.-born son of Afghan immigrants who had declared his allegiance to Islamic State militants, were killed in the attack at the Orlando nightclub on Sunday morning. It was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. 
 
Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton are at odds over how to respond to such attacks, with the latter warning against demonising Muslims and calling for tougher gun safety measures. 
 
Speaking earlier at Washington&#39;s U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), the Dalai Lama said that by nature, women were more compassionate and if more world leaders were female, &quot;there may be less trouble, less violence&quot;. 
 
&quot;Of course, some ladies, females, are exceptional&quot;, he added. &quot;Equally, some males are very compassionate&quot;. 
 
Asked by Reuters if it was time for a female leader in the United States, he said, &quot;that&#39;s up to the people of this country&quot;, although he added that past female world leaders such as India&#39;s Indira Gandhi, Israel&#39;s Golda Meir, Britain&#39;s Margaret Thatcher and Germany&#39;s Angela Merkel had set good examples. 
 
Asked if he would meet President Barack Obama during his three-day visit to Washington, the Dalai Lama said it was &quot;not finalised, but some friends say he may meet me&quot;. 
 
Obama met the Dalai Lama when the latter visited Washington in 2014 and vowed &quot;strong support&quot; for Tibetans&#39; human rights, angering China which sees the spiritual leader as an anti-Chinese separatist. 
 
Asked how Beijing (Peking) might respond this time, the Dalai Lama said: &quot;I don&#39;t know - you should ask them. I think in Peking, we cannot as of now &hellip; generalise. In Peking, there are different views. Some people there have a more realistic view. Some are more hardline, which is more narrow-minded&quot;. 
 
At the start of the USIP event, the Dalai Lama called on the audience to observe a moment of silence for the Orlando victims. 
 
&quot;Yesterday, very serious tragedy, Orlando. So let us (say) some silent prayer, OK,&quot; he said, while adding afterwards: &quot;Although, one Buddhist monk grows quite sceptical about the effects of prayer&quot;. 
 
Real change, he said, required serious action, including better education, to ensure more compassion and tolerance in the world, and it was important not to lose &quot;determination or courage&quot;. 
 
&quot;Then on top of that, some prayer is OK, no harm&quot;, he said. 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

He says Trump is entitled to his opinion but would like more details on his stance

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday called the massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, a "very serious tragedy", but said it was wrong to see all Muslims as potential terrorists. Asked in an interview with Reuters about U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's reiteration of a call after the shooting for a ban on Muslims entering the country, the Dalai Lama said the billionaire businessman was entitled to his opinion. However, he added that if he had a chance, he would ask Trump "What's his reason? More detail". The Dalai Lama said that in every religious community, including Buddhist ones, "there are some mischievous people". "But you cannot generalise", he said. "Some individual Muslims may carry out some terrorist activities, but better we should not say 'Muslim terrorists.' I think that's wrong". Fifty people, including the gunman, the U.S.-born son of Afghan immigrants who had declared his allegiance to Islamic State militants, were killed in the attack at the Orlando nightclub on Sunday morning. It was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton are at odds over how to respond to such attacks, with the latter warning against demonising Muslims and calling for tougher gun safety measures. Speaking earlier at Washington's U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), the Dalai Lama said that by nature, women were more compassionate and if more world leaders were female, "there may be less trouble, less violence". "Of course, some ladies, females, are exceptional", he added. "Equally, some males are very compassionate". Asked by Reuters if it was time for a female leader in the United States, he said, "that's up to the people of this country", although he added that past female world leaders such as India's Indira Gandhi, Israel's Golda Meir, Britain's Margaret Thatcher and Germany's Angela Merkel had set good examples. Asked if he would meet President Barack Obama during his three-day visit to Washington, the Dalai Lama said it was "not finalised, but some friends say he may meet me". Obama met the Dalai Lama when the latter visited Washington in 2014 and vowed "strong support" for Tibetans' human rights, angering China which sees the spiritual leader as an anti-Chinese separatist. Asked how Beijing (Peking) might respond this time, the Dalai Lama said: "I don't know - you should ask them. I think in Peking, we cannot as of now … generalise. In Peking, there are different views. Some people there have a more realistic view. Some are more hardline, which is more narrow-minded". At the start of the USIP event, the Dalai Lama called on the audience to observe a moment of silence for the Orlando victims. "Yesterday, very serious tragedy, Orlando. So let us (say) some silent prayer, OK," he said, while adding afterwards: "Although, one Buddhist monk grows quite sceptical about the effects of prayer". Real change, he said, required serious action, including better education, to ensure more compassion and tolerance in the world, and it was important not to lose "determination or courage". "Then on top of that, some prayer is OK, no harm", he said.

And that all Muslims are not terrorists

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has a moral responsibility to try to ease tensions between majority Buddhists and minority Rohingya Muslims, her fellow Nobel laureate, the Dalai Lama, said on Monday. 
 
The Tibetan spiritual leader said he had stressed the issue in meetings with Suu Kyi, who came to power in April in the newly created role of state counselor in Myanmar&#39;s first democratically elected government in five decades. 
 
&quot;She already has the Nobel Peace Prize, a Nobel Laureate, so morally she should ... make efforts to reduce this tension between the Buddhist community and Muslim community,&quot; he told Reuters in an interview in Washington. 
 
&quot;I actually told her she should speak more openly.&quot; 
 
Violence between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims in recent years has cast a cloud over progress with democratic reforms in Myanmar. Rights groups have sharply criticized Suu Kyi&#39;s reluctance to speak out on the Rohingya&#39;s plight. 
 
The Dalai Lama said Suu Kyi, who won worldwide acclaim and a Nobel Peace Prize as a champion of democratic change in the face of military persecution, had responded to his calls by saying that the situation was &quot;really complicated&quot;. 
 
&quot;So I don&rsquo;t know,&quot; he said. 
 
There is widespread hostility towards Rohingya Muslims in the Buddhist-majority country, including among some within Suu Kyi&#39;s party and its supporters. 
 
More than 100 people were killed in violence in western Rakhine state in 2012, and some 125,000 Rohingya Muslims, who are stateless, took refuge in camps where their movements are severely restricted. 
 
Thousands have fled persecution and poverty in an exodus by boat to neighboring South and Southeast Asian countries. 
 
The Dalai Lama said some Buddhist monks in Myanmar &quot;seem to have some kind of negative attitude to Muslims&quot; and Buddhists who harbored such thoughts &quot;should remember Buddha&#39;s face&quot;. 
 
&quot;If Buddha happened, he certainly would protect those Muslim brothers and sisters,&quot; he said. 
 
The new Myanmar government announced late last month that Aung San Suu Kyi would lead a new effort to bring peace and development to Rakhine State. 
 
The announcement offered no details on how the group would go about addressing the state&#39;s multitude of problems. 
 
Suu Kyi said during a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry last month that the country needed &quot;enough space&quot; to deal with the Rohingya issue, and cautioned against the use of &quot;emotive terms&quot; that she said were making the situation more difficult.

He urges for open speech about the violence between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims hampering the country's democratic reforms

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has a moral responsibility to try to ease tensions between majority Buddhists and minority Rohingya Muslims, her fellow Nobel laureate, the Dalai Lama, said on Monday. The Tibetan spiritual leader said he had stressed the issue in meetings with Suu Kyi, who came to power in April in the newly created role of state counselor in Myanmar's first democratically elected government in five decades. "She already has the Nobel Peace Prize, a Nobel Laureate, so morally she should ... make efforts to reduce this tension between the Buddhist community and Muslim community," he told Reuters in an interview in Washington. "I actually told her she should speak more openly." Violence between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims in recent years has cast a cloud over progress with democratic reforms in Myanmar. Rights groups have sharply criticized Suu Kyi's reluctance to speak out on the Rohingya's plight. The Dalai Lama said Suu Kyi, who won worldwide acclaim and a Nobel Peace Prize as a champion of democratic change in the face of military persecution, had responded to his calls by saying that the situation was "really complicated". "So I don’t know," he said. There is widespread hostility towards Rohingya Muslims in the Buddhist-majority country, including among some within Suu Kyi's party and its supporters. More than 100 people were killed in violence in western Rakhine state in 2012, and some 125,000 Rohingya Muslims, who are stateless, took refuge in camps where their movements are severely restricted. Thousands have fled persecution and poverty in an exodus by boat to neighboring South and Southeast Asian countries. The Dalai Lama said some Buddhist monks in Myanmar "seem to have some kind of negative attitude to Muslims" and Buddhists who harbored such thoughts "should remember Buddha's face". "If Buddha happened, he certainly would protect those Muslim brothers and sisters," he said. The new Myanmar government announced late last month that Aung San Suu Kyi would lead a new effort to bring peace and development to Rakhine State. The announcement offered no details on how the group would go about addressing the state's multitude of problems. Suu Kyi said during a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry last month that the country needed "enough space" to deal with the Rohingya issue, and cautioned against the use of "emotive terms" that she said were making the situation more difficult.

Myanmar leader Suu Kyi has a moral responsibility to ease Rohingya tensions, says Dalai Lama

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