Tibetan leader reminds India of panchsheel on Karmapa
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

BEIJING, MAR 14: China today urged India not to interfere in Tibetan affairs and to handle "prudently" the sensitive question concerning the 17th Karmapa Lama.

``China and India are friendly neighbours. Both countries adhere to the five principles of peaceful co-existence, particularly `Principle of Mutual Respect and Non-Interference' in each other's internal affairs," reminded Raidi, chairman of the standing committee of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress told reporters here.

``I hope that the Indian side will firmly abide by the above mentioned Principle and handle prudently and appropriately the relevant issues in the interest of the overall situation of our bilateral relations,'' Raidi, who is also a senior leader of the ruling communist party of China in Tibet, said.

``As far as the Karmapa issue is concerned, the Indian leadership has made its attitude clear that it will not allow anyone or any forces to make use of this issue to undermine or do anything destructive to China,'' Raidi said on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the Chinese parliament.

Raidi, an ethnic Tibetan, was commenting on new Delhi's recent decision to grant 'refugee' status to the teenaged Lama, who escaped to India in January, 2000. Raidi did not comment on the possibility of the 17th Karmapa returning to tibet as mentioned by him last year.

China still maintains Karmapa went abroad temporarily to collect symbolic ritual implements which belonged to the previous Karmapa Lama, leaving the door open to his return.

Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.