By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, April 7: A senior Russian scholar from the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr Sergius L. Kuzmin said the Russian people are “disappointed” for not being able to invite His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Russia.

Dr Kuzmin, who is in Dharamshala for the launch of the English version of his book “Hidden Tibet: History of independence and occupation” was speaking to Phayul earlier today.

“China’s influence and China’s propaganda in Russia is growing day by day, to such an extent that even some Russian communist news papers published articles saying that whoever opposes China are enemies of Russia,” Dr Kuzmin said. “However, more and more Russian people are visiting the Dalai Lama and attending his teachings. Russian people are very disappointed for not being able to invite the Dalai Lama to Russia. Even some Russian officials also have expressed their regrets.”

Dr Kuzmin’s book, originally written in Russian and released in 2010 in Dharamshala, traces the history of Tibet and analyses its right to statehood. The 541-paged English version will be launched Tuesday by Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay.

“Tibet has never been part of any other state. Statement that Tibet was a part of neighboring empires is related to ancient Chinese conception of the emperor’s global power,” Kuzmin said of his research findings. “Inclusion of Tibet into the People’s Republic of China was not legitimate. Tibet is an occupied country.”

“Therefore the conclusion of my book is that Tibet is an occupied country and that movement for independence of Tibet is not separatism because it is not claiming for creation of new state or new autonomy.”

The Russian scholar with more than 200 publications to his credit told Phayul that his book is neither pro-Tibet nor anti-China, but “pro-truth.”

“I have visited China twice and Tibet once prior to writing the book and my book is not a biased and one sided one. It is about the historical truth which proves that Tibet was an independent country,” Dr Kuzmin said.

When asked, the author said that Tibet will become an independent nation, just like China which broke free from imperialistic colonisation.

“China was also once an occupied country but later got its independence. So will Tibet. Its just a matter of time,” Dr Kuzmin said, adding that Tibetans have to preserve their sense of Tibetanness.