Beijing warns U.S. Obama against meeting with Dalai Lama

[Kshasty]

Beijing warned U.S. President Barack Obama that in case he decides to meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, during his visit to China this month relations between the countries may deteriorate.

An executive vice-minister of the United Front Work Department, the Chinese Communist Party's department that officially deals with ethnic policy, Zhu Weiqun said "if the U.S. leader decides to meet with the Dalai Lama, it would seriously undermine mutual trust and cooperation between our countries."

The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959, has repeatedly said he seeks autonomy for Tibet rather than independence from China.

Last October, the Dalai Lama received a U.S. Congress award in honor of his human rights work.

Beijing accused the Nobel Peace Prize winner of orchestrating the March 2008 unrest in Tibet. Disturbances started when Buddhist monks took to the streets to mark the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The unrest left 19 people dead and 623 injured, according to official Chinese reports. The Dalai Lama denied the allegations.

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