{
  "id": 348810,
  "title": "Tibet conference in Nepal pushed online",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/tibet-conference-in-nepal-pushed-online-348810",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-09T04:22:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press-hongkongfp",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/08/09/tibet-conference-in-nepal-pushed-online/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An academic conference on Tibet that was scheduled to take place in Nepal this month has been moved online, according to organisers. The International Association for Tibetan Studies (IATS) announced the change, describing it as a \"worrying development\". Nepal's government denied any involvement in the decision, stating that they had not instructed the cancellation of the event. The conference, expected to bring together leading scholars from around the world, was set to be held at Kathmandu University from August 23-29. It was to focus on Tibetan history, culture, religion, and society. IATS' acting president, Francoise Robin, expressed regret over the development, emphasizing the difficulty of holding the conference in an online format. Kathmandu University's conference convener, Sagar Raj Sharma, confirmed that the government had requested the cancellation, stating that the timing was not suitable for the event. Nepal, however, denied issuing any such orders. The government spokesperson, Hem Raj Aryal, said the decision was taken by the organizers themselves. Nepal is home to thousands of Tibetan refugees and shares cultural, religious, and linguistic ties with the Tibetan region. IATS, founded in 1979 at Britain's University of Oxford, maintains that it has no political interest or affiliation. China, which invaded Tibet in 1950, regards the high-altitude plateau as an integral part of its territory. It has long opposed international activities that it perceives as challenging its sovereignty.",
  "summary": "An international academic conference on Tibet due to take place in Nepal this month has been pushed online, organisers said Saturday, calling it a “worrying development”. Nepal’s government denied that it had ordered the change, though the country is acutely aware of how sensitive the issue of Tibet is to its giant northern neighbour China. […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Tibet conference in Nepal pushed online",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/tibet-conference-in-nepal-pushed-online",
        "published": "2026-08-09T04:22:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}