US special coordinator calls on Dalai Lama
October 19th, 2010 - 7:16 pm ICT by IANS
Dharamsala, Oct 19 (IANS) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama met US State Department Under Secretary Maria Otero in the US and reiterated his commitment to “middle-way” approach of working non-violently to resolve the Tibet issue.
The Tibetan government-in-exile, based in this hill town, Tuesday welcomed the meeting and said it indicates US concern for Tibet.
“Maria Otero, who is the US Special Coordinator on Tibetan issues, met the Dalai Lama in Atlanta Monday. Tibetan prime minister-in-exile Samdhong Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama’s special envoy Kasur Lodi Gyari were also present during the meeting,” said a post on the website of the Central Tibetan Administration here.
The Nobel laureate is currently touring the US.
“Support for his efforts from the US has been critical at many levels and His Holiness was very pleased to hear again from Otero that the Obama administration (supports) his middle-way approach,” said the post quoting Gyari.
The Dalai Lama’s “middle-way” approach is to secure genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people within the scope of the constitution of the People’s Republic of China.
Nine rounds of talks have been held between the Dalai Lama’s envoys and the Chinese since 2002 to work out a mutually beneficial solution to the issue of Tibet.
During the eighth round of talks, the envoys presented a comprehensive memorandum on genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people to the Chinese Oct 31, 2008.
As the Chinese expressed doubts about the spirit of the memorandum, the exiles presented an “explanatory” note to them in January this year to clarify their stand on autonomy. After the talks, the Chinese said the two sides had “sharply divided views as usual”.
Otero was also part of Barack Obama’s high-level delegation that met the Dalai Lama here September last year.
At that time, the officials led by White House advisor Valerie Jarrett briefed the Dalai Lama about the US approach to the Tibet issue.
Chimme Choekyappa, private secretary to the Dalai Lama, has welcomed the meeting between the Dalai Lama and Otero.
“The meeting indicates the concern of the Americans towards the cause of Tibet,” he told IANS.
The Dalai Lama has been living in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959.
Around 140,000 Tibetans now live in exile - most of them in India.
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Tags: barack obama, beneficial solution, central tibetan administration, dalai lama, dharamsala, exiles, genuine autonomy, holiness, level delegation, maria otero, memorandum, nobel laureate, oct 31, republic of china, rinpoche, tibet issue, tibetan government in exile, tibetan issues, tibetan spiritual leader, valerie