By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Aug 22: Officials from the U.S. State Department and the White House met with the Dalai Lama including Uzra Zeya, U.S. Under- Secretary of State for Human Rights and Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and Kelly Razzouk, the White House Director for Human Rights, in New York on Wednesday. The meeting was aimed to “reaffirm the US commitment to advancing the human rights of Tibetans,” according to a statement from the State Department.
The US State Department’s statement noted that Zeya “conveyed, on behalf of President Biden, best wishes for His Holiness’s good health and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to advancing the human rights of Tibetans and supporting efforts to preserve their distinct historical, linguistic, cultural, and religious heritage.” Zeya also discussed U.S. efforts to address human rights abuses in Tibet and support for the recommencement of dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama.
In response to the meeting, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, stated that China is “gravely concerned” and urged the U.S. to avoid contact with the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama has previously met with U.S. officials, including many presidents during his visits to the United States. However, President Biden has not met him since taking office in 2021, despite criticizing then-President Donald Trump for not meeting or speaking with the Dalai Lama, calling it “disgraceful.”
Before the Dalai Lama’s trip to the United States for knee surgery, a delegation of U.S. lawmakers met with him in India, where they assured him that they would not allow China to influence the selection of his successor. Last month, China criticized the passage of the Resolve Tibet Act, signed by President Biden, which called for Beijing to settle a dispute over Tibet’s demands for greater autonomy. China vowed to “firmly defend” its interests and continues to oppose any contact by foreign officials with the Dalai Lama.
Congressman Jim McGovern, who authored the Resolve Tibet Act, was sanctioned by Beijing at the end of last month. The sanctions included freezing his assets and properties in China, prohibiting any organization or individual in China from conducting transactions or working with him, and denying him and his family visas to enter the country. McGovern rebuked the move and called the sanction “a badge of honor”.
