Washington, Nov 10 (IANS) In the face of Chinese protests over the Dalai Lama’s visit to a region near India’s border with Tibet, the US has backed the Tibetan spiritual leader’s right to free movement.
“I don’t think we have a position necessarily on his decision to travel to this area,” State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Monday, when asked to comment on the Dalai Lama’s visit to the remote Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh state, which China claims as its own.

But the Dalai Lama “is primarily an internationally respected religious figure”, he said. “He of course has the right to go wherever he wants and talk to people that he chooses to talk to. And we just don’t see it in any other way than that,” Kelly said.

The region has close ties with Tibet. The Dalai Lama took refuge in the monastery 50 years ago as he fled Lhasa amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama said his visit was “non-political” but China accused him of trying to stir up tensions between Beijing and New Delhi.