Pelosi can express her view on Tibet: India

New Delhi, Mar 22: The Indian Government has said that there is nothing wrong in visiting US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressing her personal views on the situation in Tibet and her unhappiness over the Chinese crackdown in that remote region.

"They (United States) have expressed their views. They are not putting pressure," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was quoted by a television channel as saying. Describing the situation in Tibet as a challenge to the "conscience of the world", Pelosi had asked all freedom-loving people to speak out against China's "oppression". Pelosi said it is high time that the international community geared up to work towards a resolution of the Tibetan cause. She accused China of suppressing Tibetan freedom.

She said the US Congress will continue to meet the challenge of conscience that Tibet offers. Reacting to Pelosi's statement, China's Ambassador to India Zhang Yang warned that Beijing would not tolerate any "meddling" in its "internal affairs".

"We oppose any interference in Chinese affairs by any government, organization and country.Tibet is China's internal affair. Any attempt to meddle in our internal affairs is doomed to failure," Ambassador Yang said.

On Friday, the Chinese envoy described the Dalai Lama and his followers as criminals and looters, and even blamed him for cheating the international community in the name of non-violence.

"We attach importance to deeds not words," said Ambassador Yang.

On having negotiations with the Dalai Lama, Ambassador Yang said: "Until and unless the Dalai Lama gives up his demand for the independence of Tibet and his agenda of separatism and shuns violence, no talks can take place."

He also accused the Indian media of pandering to and being influenced by a biased Western media, but said the Indian Government had handled the situation in a very balanced manner.

The embassy also released a couple of reports and documentaries that were shown on CCTV, the state-run television channel, which highlighted the rioting, looting and stoning by Tibetan activists. Shots of charred buildings and dead and injured victims were also shown.

Ambassador Yang's reaction came shortly after Pelosi, the third highest ranking US official, met the the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala on Friday, and thereafter, criticised China for its policies in Tibet.

The US favours a dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama towards the resolution of the Tibet problem.

Tibetan protestors on Friday barged into the Chinese Embassy premises in New Delhi, raising the level of their protest against Chinese suppression in Tibet to a new level.

Several protestors were severely injured while attempting to climb the walls of the embassy, which was barbed wired.

When the demonstrators refused to move to an open space nearby and to resort to peaceful means, the police had to arrest them.

Both men and women protestors were dragged and taken away by the police.

ANI