Kathmandu: A top US diplomat has claimed that China's increased influence in Nepal has led to the ban on Dalai Lama's birthday celebration in the Himalayan nation.
Alice G Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary of USA, Bureau of South and Central Asia in a briefing to the House of Foreign Affairs Sub-committee on Asia and Pacific had made the statement.
"Nepal's constitution and international commitments guarantee the right to practice and profess one's faith, but religious freedom remains a challenge in practice. A new criminal code enacted in 2018 restricts 'forced conversion' and puts members of religious minority groups at risk," Wells said.
She further added, "The government has also increased restrictions on the Tibetan Buddhist community, including preventing the public celebration of the Dalai Lama's birthday. As Chinese influence has grown in Nepal, so has the Government of Nepal's restrictions on the Tibetan community."
The statement from a top US Diplomat comes shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping's stop-over state visit to the Himalayan Nation.
Beijing always has been searching for a strong commitment from Nepal on its so-called One-China Policy which always has censored events relating to Tibetian refugees who are in the tiny Himalayan Nation for decades.
The Communist Government formed in 2018 with a nearly two-thirds majority under Prime Ministership of KP Sharma Oli this year had banned birthday celebration in Nepal.