Kathmandu, July 9: There was strong criticism in Parliament over the government’s decision to allow the celebration of the 91st birthday of Tibetan religious leader the Dalai Lama and the presence of ambassadors from Western countries at the event. During Thursday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, CPN-UML lawmaker Ain Mahar strongly objected to the government’s decision and drew the attention of Parliament to the issue. He accused the government of interfering with Nepal’s foreign policy in violation of the “One China Principle” that Nepal has followed for centuries.
Lawmaker Mahar said that the current government had, for the first time in Nepal’s history, “shamelessly” granted permission on Ashadh 22 to celebrate the birthday of the “separatist leader” Dalai Lama, who fled China in 1959 and has been living in exile. He expressed serious objections on behalf of the UML, stating that allowing the event to be held at Namgyal Lower Secondary School in Swayambhu was an anti-national act that could disturb the cordial relations between Nepal and China.
He said the presence of ambassadors from the United States, France, the European Union, and Australia at the event was extremely serious and objectionable. He further claimed that the incident demonstrated that Western powers were secretly working to turn Nepal into an anti-China platform and push the country into a conflict similar to Ukraine.
Through the Speaker, lawmaker Mahar warned the government that no one should be allowed to use Nepali territory against neighboring countries and that such a situation could not be tolerated. He said the entire Nepali population had rejected what he described as the government’s anti-national and imperialist-oriented policy. He also informed Parliament that seven former Nepali ambassadors to China had already issued a statement expressing their opposition to the matter.
Mahar questioned whether the government had changed its foreign policy toward neighboring countries and sought clarification on whether it was attempting to alter Nepal’s long-standing commitment to the principles of Panchsheel and its policy of non-alignment.
Accusing the government of showing immaturity and a lack of seriousness in its foreign policy and dealings with neighboring countries, Mahar urged it to treat foreign policy with greater responsibility and caution, emphasizing that neighboring countries are not “toys” to be used for political games.
People’s News Monitoring Service
Login to add a comment