2 weeks ago
US Envoy’s Planned Dalai Lama Meeting Faces Uncertainty in Leh
US Ambassador Sergio Gor was expected to meet the Dalai Lama in Leh.
The meeting was planned for August 21 during Gor’s visit to northern India.
However, later reports said the plan might have been cancelled.
The Dalai Lama’s office said it did not know whether the meeting would happen.
No US official had publicly explained the situation.
The Dalai Lama is staying in Ladakh for the summer.
The United States often discusses religious freedom and Tibetan culture with him.
China objects to foreign officials meeting him because it considers him a political figure.
The meeting would be especially sensitive because Leh is near the disputed India-China border.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor was expected to meet the 14th Dalai Lama in Leh on August 21.
Conflicting reports later said the meeting may have been cancelled or removed from Gor’s schedule for logistical reasons.
The Dalai Lama’s office reportedly was not involved in arranging the possible meeting and said it was unaware of the final plans.
Gor’s Ladakh visit followed engagements in Jammu and Kashmir, including a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
A meeting in Leh could attract Chinese attention because of Tibet’s status and Ladakh’s proximity to the disputed India-China boundary.
- Who
- US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and the 14th Dalai Lama; the Central Tibetan Administration also commented on the uncertainty.
- What
- Gor was expected to hold an audience with the Dalai Lama, but reports later said the meeting might have been cancelled or changed.
- Where
- Leh, Ladakh, India, possibly at Shewatsel Teaching Ground or Shewatsel Phodrang.
- When
- The possible meeting was scheduled for August 21; Gor arrived in Jammu and Kashmir on August 19 and reached Leh on Thursday, according to one report.
- Why
- The engagement would reflect US attention to religious freedom and Tibetan issues, while its location could carry added sensitivity because Ladakh is near the disputed India-China boundary.
US Engagement
China’s Objections
Contact with the Dalai Lama
US Engagement
The United States has engaged the Dalai Lama on religious freedom, human rights, non-violence, dialogue and Tibetan cultural heritage.
China’s Objections
China considers the Dalai Lama a political figure or separatist and opposes official meetings between him and foreign governments.
Significance of a Leh Meeting
US Engagement
US officials have previously met the Dalai Lama, and a meeting in Leh would signal continued attention to Tibetan issues outside the usual setting of Dharamshala.
China’s Objections
Because Leh is in strategically sensitive Ladakh near the disputed India-China boundary, Beijing could view such contact as particularly sensitive.
Reason for the Uncertainty
US Engagement
The Central Tibetan Administration said the apparent change was not because the United States was afraid of China, while reports attributed it to logistical reasons.
China’s Objections
China’s opposition to foreign-government engagement with the Dalai Lama could make any such meeting diplomatically contentious, although no source confirmed that it caused the reported change.
Key facts
- Expected meeting date
- August 21
- Reported status
- Conflicting reports said the meeting may have been cancelled or removed from the schedule for logistical reasons.
- Expected participants
- US Ambassador Sergio Gor and the 14th Dalai Lama
- Possible venues
- Shewatsel Teaching Ground or the Dalai Lama’s residence, Shewatsel Phodrang, in Leh
- US official’s role
- Gor is the US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asia.
- Recent travel
- Gor visited Jammu and Kashmir before travelling to Ladakh and met Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar.
- Political sensitivity
- Leh is in Ladakh, near the Line of Actual Control between India and China; Beijing opposes official foreign-government contact with the Dalai Lama.
Quotes
CTA Sikyong Penpa Tsering
Spokesperson for the Central Tibetan Administration
“"late last night there was a change in the programme, so it looks like it’s not happening."”
deccanchronicle.com
“"definitely not because the United States is afraid of China."”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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