A scholarly conference on Tibetan studies that was planned to take place in Nepal later this month has been canceled following a request from government officials, organizers announced Thursday.
The International Association for Tibetan Studies was scheduled to convene in Nepal from August 23-26, with participants expected from multiple countries. The event was to be hosted by the Himalaya Centre for Asian Studies at Kathmandu University. A professor at the center confirmed that the decision to cancel came after top government officials asked them not to proceed with the conference. Officials provided no stated rationale for their request.
The Nepali government has not issued an immediate public statement regarding the cancellation. Nepal has historically maintained a policy of preventing pro-Tibetan activities within its borders, reflecting its long-standing diplomatic relationship with China. China has administered Tibet since 1951, following the occupation of the region by Communist forces. The period since then has been marked by what observers describe as significant political repression, including the destruction of some Buddhist monasteries and restrictions on political and cultural expression outside Communist Party channels.
Nepal hosts a substantial population of Tibetan refugees, many of whom use the country as a transit point to reach the Dalai Lama, who maintains a residence in exile in India. The Nepali government has stated a policy of prohibiting protests, rallies, and activities directed against nations it considers friendly. Refugee-led demonstrations in Nepal have occurred periodically, with police intervening to disperse them. Celebrations marking the Dalai Lama’s birthday take place annually in Nepal, though they are confined to monastery and school grounds, with police maintaining oversight of these observances.
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