Tibetan leader rejects China's demand for recalling Tibetan pilgrims

Tibet's exiled Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay has rejected China's demand for a recall of Tibetan pilgrims attending the Kalchakra Mandal initiation conferred by the Dalai Lamba.

Beijing has imposed severe travel restrictions on Tibetans in a bid to block their travel to India for attending the 34th Kalachakra Initiation-a prominent Buddhist ceremony led by the Dalai Lama at Bodh Gaya.

Thousands of pilgrims have come from Tibet to attend the spiritual gathering but have been recalled back to Tibet.

"The Chinese government threatening Tibetan pilgrims to return immediately is simply unacceptable," said Dr. Sangay.

It is reported that the Chinese government began confiscating the passports from Tibetans since November this year.

Xu Zhitao, Deputy Director of the bureau of Tibet question has confirmed that the government is discouraging people in Tibet from visiting India to attend the Buddhist ritual.

Dr. Sangay said that China has severely penalised those attending these teachings since 2012.

"We truly hope that China will address the long-standing issue of Tibet by heeding to the propositions of the Middle Way Approach and agree to engage in a dialogue with the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama," he said.