His Holiness the Dalai Lama Returns to Dharamsala - Kalmykian Officials Show their Anger at Russian Decision

Dharamsala, 26 September 2003: His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived in Dharamsala this afternoon, after completing a very successful visit to the United States of America from 4 to 24 September 2003. This morning, His Holiness was received at Chandigrah by Mr. Pema Jungney, the Chairman of the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies (Tibetan Parliament in Exile), Kalon Lobsang Nyima and Kalon Lobsang Nyandak Zayul, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Finance and Health respectively of the Central Tibetan Administration.

His Holiness was actually scheduled to visit Kalmykia Republic of the Russian Federation. However, the visit could not take place after the Russian authorities made a last minute decision to deny a visa to His Holiness. In an article published in the Los Angeles Times on 24 September, an unnamed Russian Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying: "When looking at the question of a visit by the Dalai Lama, we had to take into account all Russia’s interests and strictly follow Russia’s international obligations, including our treaty of friendship with China."

The authorities in Elista, the Kalmykian capital, were quick to respond to Moscow. The Los Angeles Times reached Mikhail Burninov, an official from the administration of Kalmykia, who stated that the Buddhist community of Russia "will clearly feel frustrated and deceived." He also said: "Ordinary believers cannot understand why they are denied the right to meet their teacher and hear him share his teachings with his flock. There are some elderly people in Kalmykia whose most cherished dream is to see the Dalai Lama and get his blessing before they die."

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement issued on Tuesday said: "Guided by the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and being aware of the sensitivity of the Tibet issue, we would not allow a visit by the Dalai Lama to Kalmykia at the invitation of a top official." On 23 September, when questioned by RAI NOVASTI (The Russian Information Agency), the Department of Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry responded: "The Dalai Lama is a respected and a prominent religious leader who has a lot of followers in our country...We know that at present Beijing and the Dalai Lama’s representatives hold complicated and delicate negotiations."

On Thursday, Kong Quan, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman , said that the Chinese authorities appreciated the Russian decision. He also stated that in a joint communique between Russia and the People’s Republic of China, "the two sides will continue to firmly support the other for maintaining state unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Russian side reiterates its stance on the Taiwan and Tibet issues."

Antonina Kookuyeva, president of the Friends of Tibet Society in Kalmykia, described the Russian decision as "a spit in our faces", when approached by the Los Angeles Times staff writer Robyn Dixon. " "His Holiness is in the U.S. now and no one there is scared of letting the Dalai Lama into the country," Kookuyeva said. "We fail to understand why the Russian side feels so much obliged to be so receptive to the Chinese concerns. It goes to show that Russia is a weak country incapable of pursuing its own assertive policy."

Kalmykia reportedly has about 150,000 Buddhists, who account for about half the Republic’s population. His Holiness last visited this part of the Russian Federation in 1994.

  Email This Article |   Printer version | Other news  |  Top   |  Home