NEW DELHI: Senior US diplomat for human rights Uzra Zeya will visit India and Bangladesh next week but might skip a trip to Dharamsala to call on the Dalai Lama in view of Washington’s drive to mend ties with Beijing.
In Delhi, Zeya will meet members of several NGOs, some of whom have come under the scrutiny of central agencies as well as “marginalised religious and ethnic minorities”. There is talk that among the ethnic minorities could be Kukis of Manipur. India had wondered whether “diplomats should comment on internal developments in India” after the US envoy had on Thursday said the US stood ready to assist India in stabilising Manipur and that he “prayed for peace” in the state.
In both India and Bangladesh, Zeya will also engage with civil society organisations on freedom of expression and association, minority rights and inclusion of women and girls, persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups, said a US State Department statement.
Zeya had quit the US State Department on moral grounds during the Trump presidency in protest against racism and anti-women attitudes of that time. She was re-inducted by the Biden administration. Also the US Special Coordinator on Tibet, Zeya had ruffled Chinese feathers during her India visit last year when she received a rapturous welcome in Dharamsala. She was present at the State Department luncheon co-hosted by Secretary Antony Blinken and Vice-President Kamala Harris last month in honour of PM Narendra Modi.
With Dharamsala off the itinerary given by the US State Department, Zeya’s week-long visit has meetings lined up with senior government officials. They will discuss advancing shared solutions to global challenges, democracy, regional stability and cooperation on humanitarian relief, stated the statement.
In Bangladesh, she will discuss humanitarian concerns, including the Rohingya refugee crisis, labour issues, human rights, free and fair elections, and combating trafficking in persons.