DHARAMSHALA, February 10: The Secretary of Department of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan government in on Monday met with Nomaindia Mfeketo, Deputy Foreign Minister of South Africa at the latter’s office.
Secretary Tashi Phuntsok apprised the minister of the current situation inside Tibet and the Tibetan government in exile’s commitment to the Middle Way Approach for resolving the issue of Tibet.
Nangsa Choedon, Representative of Office of Tibet in South Africa, and Guy Lieberman, Friends of Tibet member, accompanied the Secretary during the meeting, which lasted for about 45 minutes.
Minister Mfeketo acknowledged the need for continuous persistence in Tibetan struggle and dialogue.
There had been nine rounds of talks between the Chinese side and the envoys of the Dalai Lama between 2002 and 2010. The last round of talks was held five years ago in January 2010 and since then, China has refused to meet the Tibetan representatives.
South Africa has denied the Dalai Lama visa thrice in the last five years, drawing public outcry by South Africans who see it as a betrayal of the commitment to human rights embraced by their government since the end of apartheid 20 years ago.
