U.S. Officials Meet Dalai Lama, Reaffirm Commitment to Tibetan Rights

Senior U.S. officials met with the Dalai Lama in New York, reaffirming the U.S. commitment to Tibetan human rights. The meeting, likely to irritate China, also discussed efforts to address human rights abuses in Tibet. The 89-year-old spiritual leader was in New York for medical treatment.

In a significant diplomatic engagement, senior officials from the U.S. State Department and the White House met with the Dalai Lama in New York on Wednesday. The meeting underscored the U.S. commitment to advancing the human rights of Tibetans, according to a statement by the State Department.

This interaction with the 89-year-old exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism is expected to provoke a response from China, which views him as a separatist. The Dalai Lama, who has been living in exile in India since 1959, was in New York for medical treatment—his first visit to the United States since 2017.

Uzra Zeya, the U.S. undersecretary of state for human rights, and Kelly Razzouk, White House director for human rights, attended the meeting. Zeya conveyed President Biden's best wishes for the Dalai Lama's health and reiterated the U.S. support for the preservation of Tibetan culture and heritage. The discussion also touched on human rights abuses in Tibet and support for renewed dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama.

(With inputs from agencies.)