Tibetan, Uyghur leaders’ meet to be closed-door affair

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 28

The meeting of Tibetan and Uyghur leaders scheduled at McLeodganj on April 30 and May 1 for which German-based Uyghur leader Dolkin was initially given and then denied visa by the Indian government is likely to be held behind closed doors. The sources here said the organizers of the event had requested the media against covering the event in any way.

The e-mail sent by the organizers to media persons said, “Media coverage could potentially have more harm than help and could lead to difficulty and even an impediment to the future activities” of the organizing coalition of four Non Governmental Organizations (NGO’s). The pressure on the organizers from the Indian government was apparent as the press was first invited to cover and then requested not to cover the event or even attend the proceedings.

The four Tibetan NGOs who are organizing the event are Students for a Free Tibet, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Tibetan Law Association and the Tibetan Writers Abroad PEN Centre. None of the representatives of the NGO was willing to comment on the media blackout of the event.

The sources here said that the organizers were being forced to hold the event in camera under pressure exerted on the Indian government by the Chinese authorities. It was expected that India initially issued visa to Ughyer leader Dolkin as a reaction to China’s move to veto the Indian government proposal in UN to get Pakistan-based terrorist Masood Azhar on the UN sanctions list for terrorists. Dolkin had been declared a terrorist by the Chinese government and an Interpol red corner notice has been issued for him. However, the Indian government later revoked the visa of Dolkin ostensibly under pressure of the Chinese government.

The delegates who would attend the meeting arrived at Dharamsala today and met the Dalai Lama.