US special coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeya met the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala on Thursday and discussed the rich traditions of freedom and democracy in the United States and India.
China on Thursday sharply criticised US special coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeya's meeting with the Dalai Lama and her visit to Dharamshala, saying it violated Washington's commitment that Tibet is part of China and it does not support Tibetan separatists.
'Is China's intention not clear?' 'Do we still think that if we are nice to China, it will be good to us?'
In democratic India, a citizen can be a patriot and at the same time be critical of the government, unlike China which promulgated a national security law in Hong Kong prescribing patriotism to contest elections, observes Rup Narayan Das.
In his message to the Buddhist community from his home in McLeodganj, the Tibetan spiritual leader asked people to recite the 'om mani padme hum' mantra. With this practice, you will create some roots of virtue that you can dedicate to me -- Avalakiteshvara's messenger -- to live for 110 or 108 years or so, the Dalai Lama said.
The Chinese embassy, in a letter to some of the members of the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, expressed concern over their attendance at the event and asked them to refrain from providing support to Tibetan forces.
The Tibetans were participating in a global 'Solidarity Rally for Tibet' initiated by the Tibetan Parliament in Exile on Monday, coinciding with the World Human Rights Day, which was also declared as the Tibet Solidarity Day.
Holding that the situation in Tibet continues to deteriorate, Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile on Wednesday urged visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao to withdraw large reinforcement of military from the region and asked the BRICs leaders to raise the Tibet issue with him.
Turning down requests by his followers to continue, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday formally conveyed to the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile his decision to devolve 'political authority' to pave the way for putting in place a new democratic system to pursue the cause of Tibet.
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama on Thursday announced his decision to retire from active politics, saying the time had come to be succeeded by a "freely elected" leader.
The Dalai Lama, 76, has said that he would ask the Tibetan parliament in exile to make the necessary constitutional changes to relieve him of his "formal authority" as head of the Tibetan community outside.
Kasur Lodi Gyari, the special envoy of the Dalai Lama, along with four other members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile's task force, visited China from January 26 to 31 to hold the ninth round of discussions with representatives of the Chinese leadership.The Dalai Lama's representatives handed over a note about the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for All Tibetans containing seven points that addressed the fundamental issues raised by the Chinese leadership.