In a blow to Tibetan sovereignty, the UK’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that Britain regards Tibet as part of the People’s Republic of China. From The Telegraph:
The change in position is being attacked by a growing coalition of academics, Tibet support groups and the Tibet government-in-exile itself.
Thubten Samphel, the government-in-exile’s spokesman, said it was “greatly disappointed”. “For the British Government to change its position at this stage to us seems counter-productive,” he said.
Britain’s position derives from its colonial history – a reason why ministers and the Tibetan movement itself have rarely emphasised it.
