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WORLD NEWS Saturday 3 March 2018

Report: Indian officials told to avoid Tibetan exile events

NEW DELHI (AP) — India has Secretary Vijay Gokhale,
told top officials to avoid until recently India's ambas-
events held by Tibet's exile sador in Beijing, who dealt
government to celebrate with China's hardening po-
the Dalai Lama's life in In- sition on the Indo-Chinese
dia, fearful of hurting rela- border and other issues.
tions with China, a newspa- Last year, Indian troops
per reported Friday. stopped China from build-
Cabinet Secretary P.K. ing a road in a disputed
Sinha, India's top govern- Himalayan plateau where
ment bureaucrat, sent a di- the borders of China, India
rective to high-level officials and Bhutan meet.
saying it is "not desirable" for In August, Beijing and New
them to participate in up- Delhi both agreed to pull
coming exile events, noting back their troops from the
"the sensitive nature of the area.
subject," The Indian Express Beijing also strongly criti-
Newspaper reported. cized New Delhi last year
Beijing detests the Dalai for allowing the Dalai Lama
Lama, saying the Tibetan to visit the Indian state of
spiritual leader is trying to Arunachal Pradesh. Beijing
break Tibet away from claims Arunachal Pradesh
Chinese control. The Dalai is part of Tibet.
Lama, who insists he only Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama gives a religious talk at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharm- Indian Prime Minister Na-
sala, India, Friday, March 2, 2018. Hundreds of exile Tibetans attended the one-day talk by the
wants more autonomy Tibetan leader. rendra Modi also irked
for Tibet, has lived in India (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia) China by inviting Lobsang
since 1959, when he fled a Sangay, the exile prime
crushed Tibetan uprising. Delhi has often been care- day called the Dalai Lama in India," foreign ministry minister, to his 2014 swear-
India has long had a wary ful to avoid showing him of- "deeply respected by the spokesman Raveesh Kumar ing-in ceremony.
relationship with China, ficial support. people of India." said in a statement. The government-in-exile is
seeing it as a strategic rival The Indian government "There is no change in that According to The Indian based in the north Indian
and a major trading part- did not react directly to position. His holiness is ac- Express, the Indian govern- town of Dharmsala, which
ner. While the Dalai Lama the media report, though corded all freedom to car- ment directive was written is also home to the Dalai
found shelter in India, New the foreign ministry on Fri- ry out his religious activities on the advice of Foreign Lama.q

South Korea's Moon plans to send envoy to North Korea soon

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Trump in a 30-minute tele- 500 people to the Olym- and using that as a bridge Moon has yet to firmly com-
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) phone conversation late pics, including high-level to approach the United mit to a summit, saying that
— South Korean President Thursday. The office did not officials, athletes, artists, States. Visiting as a special the Koreas must first create
Moon Jae-in plans to send say how Trump reacted to journalists and cheerlead- envoy, Kim Yo Jong, the an "environment" for that
a special envoy to North the plans. ers in part of conciliatory sister of Kim Jong Un, told to happen. Trump has re-
Korea soon to set up more North Korean officials vis- gestures with the South that Moon that her brother wish- sponded to North Korea's
meaningful dialogue be- iting the South for the brought a temporary lull es to meet Moon in North overture by saying that
tween the rivals that Seoul recently concluded Py- to tensions surrounding the Korea soon. Kim Yong Chol, talks with North Korea will
hopes will eventually in- eongchang Winter Olym- North's nuclear program. a vice chairman of North happen only if conditions
clude discussions over dis- pics have said leader Kim Experts say the North's out- Korea's ruling Workers' Party are right. The U.S. has said
arming the North of nuclear Jong Un wants to hold a reach over the Olympics Central Committee, dur- North Korea must make a
weapons. summit with Moon and that shows its ambition to break ing his talks with Moon said clear commitment to elimi-
Seoul's presidential office North Korea aims to open out of diplomatic isolation the North has "ample inten- nating its nuclear and mis-
said Moon revealed the talk with the United States. and pressure by improv- tions" for holding talks with sile programs before any
plans to President Donald North Korea sent around ing relations with the South the United States. talks can take place.q