By IANS,
Dharamsala : Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama left for a 10-day US visit Tuesday, during which he is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama and attend a host of religious and social functions, his aide said here.
“His Holiness (the Dalai Lama) today (Tuesday) began his 10-day US visit. He will meet President Obama in the White House Feb 18,” Tenzin Taklha, joint secretary at the Dalai Lama’s office, told IANS.
“We are seeing the meeting as a concern of the Americans towards the cause of Tibet,” Taklha said.
US authorities have gone ahead with the Dalai Lama-Obama meeting despite China’s stern warning that Sino-US ties would be damaged if US leaders meet the spiritual leader.
Obama had postponed a meeting with the Nobel laureate last September, not wanting to annoy China ahead of his visit to Beijing.
The spiritual leader has met Obama before he became president.
During the US presidential election campaign in 2008, Obama expressed support for the Tibetan people, though he did not meet the spiritual leader at that time.
Obama later wrote to the Dalai Lama, saying that “American attention to and backing for the people of Tibet is widespread”.
“I regret that our respective travel schedules will prevent us from meeting during your visit to the United States this month (July 2008), but I wanted to take the opportunity to reassure you of my highest respect and support for you, your mission and your people at this critical time,” he said in the letter dated July 24, 2008.
After his election, Obama’s aides met the Dalai Lama here in September last year and apprised him on the best way the US could assist in the resolution of the Tibetan issue.
The officials, led by White House advisor Valerie Jarrett, briefed the Dalai Lama about the US approach to the issue.
The spiritual leader, who believes in a “middle-path” policy that demands “greater autonomy” for the Tibetans, has met many former US presidents.
He has met former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush several times.
Sources in the Dalai Lama’s office said he would apprise Obama about the recently concluded ninth round of talks between the exiles and Chinese officials. Since 2002, both sides have held nine rounds of talks to try and find a solution to the Tibetan issue.
During the special prayer sessions here Sunday to mark Losar (Tibetan New Year), the Dalai Lama expressed concern over the plight of people living in Tibet.
“Despite facing great problems in Tibet for many years, the Tibetan people living inside have shown indomitable courage and sincerity in standing up to the situation,” he said in his address.
“Tibetans are marking the year as a year of remembrance of Tibetan people’s suffering… Tibetans living in the free world must not forget the critical situation in Tibet. The Tibetans in exile must keep up their sincerity and courage like their brethren in Tibet,” he said.
The Dalai Lama along with many of his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge in India when Chinese troops moved in and took control of Lhasa in 1959.
The Dalai Lama has ever since been heading the Tibetan government-in-exile from here.