Obama Ducks Dalai Lama

By B. Raman

Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser and assistant to US President Barack Obama, accompanied by Maria Otero, the Undersecretary for Democracy and Global Affairs in the US State Department, visited Dharamshala on September 14, 2009, and met His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Samdhong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of the Tibetan-Government-in-exile.

2. His Holiness is to visit the US next month in response to long-pending invitations from US non-Governmental organisations supporting the Tibetan cause. During the course of his stay, he had also planned to visit Washington DC and his supporters in the US were trying to arrange a courtesy call on President Barack Obama. His Holiness and his advisers were hopeful of the courtesy call materialising despite opposition from China.

3. This was the first time that a team of US officials including a Presidential aide had visited Dharamshala before a planned visit by His Holiness to Washington DC. This gave rise to euphoric expectations in Dharamshala that the US officials were coming to finalise the details of a meeting with Obama. There was considerable disappointment in the entourage of His Holiness when it turned out that the two officials had specially flown to Dharamshala to request His Holiness not to visit Washington DC before Obama's first visit to China scheduled for November. Obama is reportedly worried that any meeting with His Holiness before his visit to China might spoil the atmosphere for his talks with the Chinese leaders.

4.The two officials are reported to have sought the understanding of His Holiness for the inability of Obama to meet His Holiness before his visit to China. They are reported to have suggested that during his visit to the US next month His Holiness should avoid any high-profile visit to Washington. They are also reported to have promised that during his talks with the Chinese leaders, Obama would take up the issue of the revival of the dialogue between Chinese officials and the aides of His Holiness and that he would inform His Holiness of the results of his talks on Tibet in Beijing after his return to Washington DC. They said that a fresh date for the visit of His Holiness to Washington could be discussed after the President returns from China.

5. There is palpable disappointment in the entourage of His Holiness over the lack of enthusiasm of Obama for a meeting with His Holiness, which became evident during the discussions with the two US officials. The disappointment was evident in the remarks of Samdhong Rinpoche to journalists on September 15. He said: "A lot of nations are adopting a policy of appeasement (towards China). Even the US Government is doing some kind of appeasement. Today, economic interests are much greater than other interests."

6. However, Rinpoche added: "I understand why Obama is not meeting the Dalai Lama before his Chinese trip. It is common sense. Obama should not irritate the Chinese leadership. China's greatest irritation is His Holiness, wherever he goes."

7. His Holiness is going ahead with his plans to visit Arunachal Pradesh in November, which could more or less coincide with Obama's visit to China. The US officials were reported to be worried that the Chinese anger over the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh might come in the way of the success of Obama's promised efforts to persuade Beijing to resume its dialogue with His Holiness. It is not clear whether they gave any advice to His Holiness in this matter. It is also not yet clear whether the Dalai Lama will go ahead with his visit to Washington next month to meet his Congressional supporters or cut it out of his itinerary in the US.

8. To lessen the obvious disappointment in Dharamshala, Jarrett assured His Holiness of Obama's interest in protecting the human rights of the Tibetans. A statement issued by the office of His Holiness said: "She (Jarrett) reiterated President Obama's commitment to support the Tibetan people in protecting their distinct religious, linguistic, and cultural heritage and securing respect for their human rights and civil liberties.She said the President commends the Dalai Lama for being consistent in looking for a solution based on Tibetan autonomy with the People's Republic of China. She discussed with His Holiness the best way the US could assist in the resolution for the Tibetan issue, particularly in the light of the first visit by President Obama to China in November. "

(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. He is also associated with the Chennai Centre For China Studies. e-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com)