Exiled Tibetan Govt. expresses happiness over foreign secretary's visit

Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), July 12 (ANI): The Tibetan government-in-exile has expressed happiness and satisfaction over Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao's interaction with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders over the weekend.

Rao met the Dalai Lama on Saturday and held high-level talks with other Tibetan officials.

She also visited the Tibetan monastery Norbulingka in Lower Dharamshala before leaving for Delhi.

Samdhong Rinpoche, the Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile, said the meetings were held behind closed doors, and were of a routine nature.

"This is not a special thing, it is a regular annual visit. She was not able to come last year, 2009, because of various (reasons)...His Holiness was mostly outside, so then this time she made the visit," said Rinpoche.

Rao's meeting comes a week after National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon visited Beijing for talks with the Chinese leadership.

"Since she took over (as) the Foreign Secretary, it's her first visit to not only in Dharamsala, but to Himachal, I believe so. She met with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan officials of Central Tibetan Administration and Kalon Tripa and all, and since I was not in the meeting with Dalai Lama, so I can't comment on this, but by and large the whole trip of her visit (has) gone very well and we are very happy with that," said Migyur Dorjee, Cabinet Secretary of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

The Tibetans have been living in Dharamsala since 1959 and over the years their numbers have swelled.

Most exiled Tibetans have been calling on the Dalai Lama to abandon the "Middle Way" and work for greater autonomy for Tibet within China. They have called for more aggressive confrontation with Beijing, and even support an armed struggle against China. (ANI)