By Our Reporter
The recent visit of Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights of the United States of America and its Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya is likely to irk the northern neighbour.
Zeya, who arrived in Nepal from India after meeting Dalai Lama there, met with the Tibetan refugees in Kathmandu. Although it is not known what message she conveyed to the Tibetan refugees in Kathmandu and what she told them is not known, her meetings with Tibetans have raised several questions. First, letting the US official meet Tibetans is a breach of Nepal’s one-China policy, and secondly, it is against Nepal’s foreign policy based on Non-Alignment Movement.
Interestingly, Ziya arrived in Kathmandu weeks after Nepal endorsed the Millennium Challenge Corporation through the parliament, and it is widely assumed that China has not been happy with the endorsement of MCC because China fears whether the American officials who stay in Kathmandu for the implementation of the project could run anti-China activities by instigating the Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
As a member of the Non-Align Movement, Nepal should not interfere and should not allow others to interfere in the internal issues of any country. But Ziya spent a whole day with the refugees in Kathmandu. This has raised suspicions.
During her three-day stay in Kathmandu, Ziya called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, his spouse Arzu Rana, Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka and Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand.
During the meetings, the Nepali leaders and the visiting US Under Secretary exchanged views on matters of mutual interest.
“We exchanged views on Nepal-US relations and matters of mutual interests,” Prime Minister Deuba said in a tweet.
Likewise, Zeya discussed various matters concerning friendly bilateral ties and cooperation at bilateral and multilateral forums during her meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka and Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand.
Zeya had arrived in Kathmandu on Friday leading a four-member delegation. The year 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral relations between Nepal and the USA, and both the countries are planning to intensify the bilateral exchanges on multiple fronts, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which said nothing about the meeting between PM Deuba and Ziya.
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