Himalayan News Service

Dharamsala, July 11:

China has pressured the organisers of a beauty pageant in Malaysia to drop Miss Tibet from the event, said a spokesman of the Miss Tibet pageant here.

“Miss Tibet, Tashi Yangchen, made all the preparations, but now is not participating in this year’s Miss Tourism Pageant in Malaysia because the pageant organiser required her to participate as ‘Miss Tibet-China’,” said Ngawang Samdup, the spokesman of the Miss Tibet pageant here.

This is the second time the Chinese government has “meddled” in the participation of Miss Tibet in international pageants.

“We were informed by the organiser of the pageant, Alaric Soh, that after the pageant was announced, the Chinese embassy in Kuching rang the organisers to state that Tibet is a part of China and is not supposed to participate as a country of its own. Tibet must be represented as ‘Miss Tibet-China’.

“To represent her as ‘Miss Tibet-China’ would be politically incorrect, as the Chinese have not yet solved the political issue of Tibet,” Ngawang said. He explained that the Miss Tibet pageant has no political agenda and is organised as a platform for empowering young Tibetan women. “It is unfortunate that China is meddling in the event with political motives.”

The Malaysian pageant, Miss Tourism Pageant 2005, is being held in Sarawak, Malaysia, July 9-24. The grand finale will take place in Miri City July 23. Contestants from 32 different countries are participating in the pageant.

The Miss Tourism Pageant was started in 2003 to promote tourism, friendship and to create a platform for young women.