Recently, Uzra Zeya, the US Deputy Secretary of State and Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, visited New York to meet with the Dalai Lama. She conveyed President Biden’s wishes for the Dalai Lama’s good health and reiterated the United States’ commitment to promoting the human rights of Tibetans and supporting efforts to preserve their unique history, language, culture, and religious heritage.
During the meeting, Uzra Zeya, representing President Biden, conveyed good wishes for the Dalai Lama’s health and reaffirmed the US commitment to promoting Tibetan human rights and supporting the protection of Tibetan unique history, language, culture, and religious heritage. The US State Department’s press release stated that on August 21, Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy and Human Rights at the National Security Council, Kelly Razzouk, attended the meeting with Deputy Secretary Zeya.
In addition to discussing the protection of Tibetan culture, Uzra Zeya and the Dalai Lama talked about US efforts to address human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party in Tibet and supported the resumption of dialogue between Beijing authorities and the Dalai Lama and his representatives. The last formal talks between Beijing authorities and the Dalai Lama’s representatives took place in 2010, after which the dialogue stalled.
Before the Dalai Lama’s visit to the US, a bipartisan congressional delegation from the United States visited India to meet with him. The delegation stated that they would not allow Chinese communist influence to affect his choice of successor.
The Dalai Lama came to New York in June for knee treatment. On August 22, thousands of followers gathered locally to participate in a longevity prayer ceremony for the Dalai Lama. According to Radio Free Asia, the Dalai Lama attended the prayer ceremony at the UBS Arena in New York with over 17,000 believers, marking his first public appearance since undergoing knee surgery on June 28.
During the ceremony, the 89-year-old Dalai Lama delivered a speech, expressing his efforts to benefit others and the Tibetan people. He reiterated his vow to live beyond 100 years to fulfill the wishes of the Tibetan people. Last year on his 88th birthday celebration in Dharamsala, he mentioned feeling only in his fifties and anticipated living over 100 years.
In his speech at the UBS Arena, the Dalai Lama also emphasized the importance of religious harmony, stating that different religions in the world need peace and mutual respect.
Having completed over six weeks of physical therapy, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to return to Dharamsala on August 28, with a brief stop in Geneva, Switzerland, where he will attend a longevity prayer ceremony organized by Tibetans on August 25.
After fleeing to India in 1959 following the failed uprising against Chinese Communist rule in Tibet, this marks his first visit to the United States since 2017.
Despite strong statements from Chinese officials insisting that the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation must be recognized by the Beijing authorities and take place within China, the Dalai Lama’s office responded on July 15, 2019, stating that he will decide on reincarnation himself at the age of 90 and that China has no authority to interfere.
In an interview with the Indian magazine The Week, the Dalai Lama emphasized that the reincarnation system is not crucial, but the focus should be on the teachings of Buddhism rather than the reincarnation process itself.