Buckling under Chinese pressure, India cancels Uyghur leader's visa

In a U-turn, India has cancelled the visa given to a leading Chinese dissident to participate in a conference in Dharamsala, apparently buckling underpressure from China

New Delhi In a U-turn, India has cancelled the visa given to a leading Chinese dissident to participate in a conference in Dharamsala, apparently buckling underpressure from China.

Dolkun Isa. PIC/AFP

"We have cancelled the visa given to Dolkun Isa," a Home Ministry spokesperson yesterday said without elaborating further. Isa, a leader of World Uyghur Congress (WUC), who lives in Germany, had been invited for the conference being organised by US-based ‘Initiatives for China’.

The act is a U-turn on India’s part after having issued the visa to Isa only last week. Reacting to the move, Isa said, "On April 23, I got a very short note by the Indian side that my visa is cancelled. There was no explanation." He said he did not know the exact reason for it. "Maybe because of Chinese pressure put on the Indian government. But, I do not know."

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