Dalai Lama, a guest: PM

Hua Hin, Thailand, Oct. 25: In a clear rebuff to China, which has strongly objected to the Dalai Lama’s proposed visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh next month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — speaking at a gala dinner here Saturday night a few hours after his meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao — described the supreme Tibetan spiritual leader as an “honoured guest of India and a religious leader”, and it was clearly spelt out that he was free to travel anywhere he chose to within India.

Adressing a press conference at the end of his two-day visit here, Dr Singh described the border dispute between the two countries as a “complex” issue which “cannot be wished away”, and said he and Premier Wen “reaffirmed the need to maintain peace and tranquility on the border pending the resolution of the boundary question.” The Prime Minister returned to New Delhi late Sunday night.

Though the Indian side had said Saturday that the two Prime Ministers did not discuss the Dalai Lama’s travel plans or other contentious issues, sources said it was made clear that the government had no intention of blocking the visit following Chinese protests. Both leaders agreed to strengthen efforts to build “political trust and understanding.” When asked if premier Wen had specifically asked about the Dalai Lama’s plans, Dr Singh said he had pointed out that while the Dalai Lama was an honoured guest, “we do not allow him to indulge in political activities”.

The Prime Minister also reminded his Chinese counterpart that at the time of last year’s torch relay for the Beijing Olympics, India had taken “resolute action against Tibetan refugees when there were reports that some of them might disrupt the process.”

Asked if the Dalai Lama would visit Tawang as scheduled on November 8, the Prime Minister said: “I am not aware of the Dalai Lama’s plans. But I have explained our position.”
If the bilateral meeting between the two Prime Ministers had avoided acrimony, contentious matters became part of the menu at Saturday night’s banquet. Territorial disputes, Chinese incursions, trans-border river disputes and other differences, which “cannot be wished away”, were all discussed across the table.
“We had a frank exchange of views during the gala dinner. We discussed all the issues, and agreed that a mechanism for bilateral cooperation should be resolved amicably in the spirit of strategic and cooperative partnership.”
(He will reach Bengaluru on Monday and attend the Russia-India-China trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting on Tuesday.)

Both India and China agreed that views on all relevant issues would be exchanged during Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi’s visit to India starting Tuesday.

Dr Singh said: “We both agreed that there is the complex boundary question, which cannot be wished away. Pending resolution of the boundary question, we both have an obligation to maintain peace and tranquility along the border.”

The other contentious matter — of Beijing building a dam across the Brahmaputra in Tibet, was also raised as the two PMs sat side by side. “I did raise this issue with Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday,” Dr Singh said. “I conveyed to him that cooperation in the area of trans-border rivers is of mutual benefit.” Premier Wen, he said, explained that “keeping in view the overall friendly relations and humanitarian aspects, the Chinese side has been providing hydrological data during the flood season.”

The Chinese leader also said that relevant “discussions on trans-border river issues could be held through the expert-level mechanism we have constituted,” Dr Singh added.