US Special Coordinator for Tibet Issues Uzra Zeya arrived in India for a visit that will seek to strengthen US-India collaboration on “human rights, humanitarian support and democratic governance.”

Zeya, who is also the US state under-secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, is travelling to India and Nepal between May 17 and 22. She is heading a delegation of state officials, and Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Anjali Kaur is also part of the delegation, ANI reported.

While in India, Zeya is likely to hold talks with the spiritual leader Dalai Lama and senior leaders of the Tibetan government in exile in Dharamshala, PTI reported earlier.

Also read: China criticises meeting between US CDA and representative of Dalai Lama

US words vs action

Despite China’s opposition, the US has been consistently supporting the Tibetan cause. In 2020, the US had passed a law called the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, which reaffirmed the right of Tibetans to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama. The law also called for establishing a US consulate in Tibet’s main city of Lhasa.

After the legislation was passed, China accused the US for meddling in its internal affairs. China is opposed to the law as it believes it has a say in the selection of the next Dalai Lama.

Welcoming Zeya to India, the advocacy group, International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), said it hoped the special coordinator would “witness first-hand the importance of the Tibetan democracy she’s working to support.”

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“We believe this trip can and must translate President (Joe) Biden’s statements of support into the proactive initiatives needed to build on global support for Tibet, including lifting the veil that the CCP’s 70-year occupation is an ‘internal matter’,” ANI quoted Tencho Gyatso, Interim Vice-President of ICT, as saying. The ICT promotes human rights and democratic freedom for the Tibetan people.

The advocacy group believes Zeya’s visit to the two countries would highlight the need to sustain Tibetan culture and heritage, which the Chinese Communist Party is trying to abolish.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)

First Published:May 17, 2022 5:15 PM IST