Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, July 23: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming has expressed concern over the upcoming 17th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS), a leading international academic conference scheduled to take place in Kathmandu from August 23 to 29.
According to reports, Ambassador Zhang raised the matter during a meeting with Nepal’s Foreign Secretary, Amrit Bahadur Rai, on Tuesday. He reportedly conveyed Beijing’s concerns that the conference could become a platform for activities or statements that China regards as politically sensitive, particularly those relating to Tibet and the Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The envoy reportedly urged the Nepali authorities to ensure that the seminar remains strictly within the realm of academic inquiry and is not used as a forum for political expression. While no formal diplomatic protest or request to cancel the event has been made, the concerns were conveyed verbally as part of ongoing diplomatic exchanges between the two countries.
Observers suggest that Beijing’s unease may have been heightened after the Nepali government permitted Tibetan refugees to publicly celebrate the 91st birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama earlier this month—an event that has traditionally faced official restrictions in Nepal.
Responding to the concerns, the seminar organizers rejected suggestions that the gathering carries a political agenda. “It’s not a pro-Dalai Lama event. A large number of Chinese professors and scholars are also attending. The Chinese Embassy is aware of the seminar. We have informed the relevant government agencies as well,” Prof. Sagar Sharma of Kathmandu University told The Kathmandu Post.
Organizers emphasized that the International Association for Tibetan Studies is an independent academic organization dedicated to advancing scholarship on Tibetan history, language, religion, philosophy, literature, art, and culture. They stressed that the seminar is intended to foster rigorous academic dialogue and facilitate the exchange of research among scholars from across the globe.
The week-long conference is expected to attract hundreds of researchers and academics from nearly 40 countries, including participants from China. It will be jointly hosted by the Himalaya Centre for Asian Studies (HiCAS) at Kathmandu University and the Kathmandu University Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute (KU-CBS at RYI). According to the IATS website, the seminar is being convened by Prof. Sagar Sharma of HiCAS and Prof. Thomas Doctor of KU-CBS at RYI.
Founded at the University of Oxford in 1979, the International Association for Tibetan Studies is a non-political scholarly organization devoted to promoting research on Tibetan history, religion, linguistics, literature, philosophy, and the arts. Its seminars, held every three years in different host countries, are widely regarded as the foremost international forum for academic research on Tibet.
