China is at it again: "will not like" anyone who participates in the Dalai Lama's six day meeting in India.

From my perspective, many thousands of miles removed from the situation, it is easy to be a little flip about this news report. But that should not undermine the significance (and, perhaps, idiocy) of this request from the Chinese government (remember this one?).

This is from a story in the The Times of India.

China wants India to block Dalai Lama's Dharamshala meet

BEIJING: China on Thursday made a direct request to India for blocking the proposed six-day meeting organised by the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, starting November 17, to discuss the future of Tibet.

"The Indian government has made solemn commitment about not allowing any anti-China activities on its soil. We hope that the commitment will be implemented," Qin Gang, the foreign ministry spokesman said at a press conference on Thursday.

Anyone who participates in the meeting being organised by the Dalai Lama will not be liked by the Chinese people, he said. The Chinese government is against anyone trying to split the nation or raise such an issue in the international arena, he said.

The statement is aimed to put pressure on the Indian government, which may find it difficult to block the meeting in view of the vast support enjoyed by the Dalai Lama the world over.

India had earlier accepted China's request to check pro-Tibet protestors demonstrating against the Olympic Games torch relay and trying to march to Tibet from Dharamshala in July and August. Chinese leaders had eagerly praised India's efforts in this direction. They want New Delhi to act directly against the Dalai Lama this time, which is obviously going to put New Delhi in a spot.

Diplomats on the two sides are engaged in tough negotiations that may involve a trade-off if New Delhi agreed to take measures to stop the Dalai Lama from holding the meeting. But any sort of agreement has been made difficult because of the Arunachal Pradesh [ wiki] issue.

The Dalai Lama invoked article 59 of the Tibetan Charter that empowers him to call a 'Special Meeting' to discuss the future course of action as his envoys returned empty handed after secret meetings with Chinese government representatives. The past few weeks has seen the Tibetan leader complaining that he had "given up" on China and that his "faith in the Chinese government is thinning."


• Read the entire article at the Times of India web site.