Nepal halts Tibet academic conference after China objects

International relationsMeeting forced online after Beijing claims its rule in Tibet would be questionedTibetan girls perform next to a cutout of the Dalai Lama at an event marking the 90th birthday of their spiritual leader at a refugee camp in Lalitpur, Nepal, on July 6. © ReutersDEEPAK ADHIKARIAugust 10, 2026 15:44 JSTKATHMANDU -- Nepal's government has forced a major Tibetan studies conference out of Kathmandu after China objected to the gathering, prompting accusations of state interference in academic freedom.