China’s foreign ministry has reacted sharply against the Dalai Lama over comments made in his recent book, Voice for the Voiceless, that the next Dalai Lama would be born outside China, as per Reuters.
China rejected the Dalai Lama’s claims, indicating that he lacks the mandate to speak on behalf of Tibetans. “He has no right to represent the people of Tibet. Reincarnations of the living Buddha, including the Dalai Lama, should conform to the regulations of the nation,” the ministry stated.
Chinese authorities stressed that reincarnation is a specific tradition in Tibetan Buddhism and the title of Dalai Lama has long been ratified by the central government. The foreign ministry once again expressed its position, referring to the Dalai Lama as “a political exile who is involved in anti-China separatist activities in the name of religion.”
In spite of the Dalai Lama’s words, China has argued that its leadership over Tibet will not be affected by what he says. For a long time, Beijing has claimed to govern the identification of its next in line through the government.
Position of Dalai Lama on Succession
14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, escaped to India in 1959 following the rebellion against Chinese Communism which was unsuccessful. Since then, he has stayed in exile with his thousands of Tibetan followers in India.
In his work, he affirms that his successor “would be born in a free world,” meaning elsewhere outside China. Earlier, he had hinted at the possibility that the next leader of Tibetan Buddhists might rise from India, where he has his residence.
The Tibetan nation’s right to be the master of their homeland cannot be put off indefinitely and their desire to be free must not be broken forever by oppressive means,” he wrote in the excerpt from the book, Reuters quoted.
He also highlighted what happens when oppression is used as a means and said, “One clear lesson we know from history is this: if you keep people permanently unhappy, you cannot have a stable society.
Tensions About Tibet’s Future
The competition for the Dalai Lama’s successor continues to be a major source of conflict between China and the Tibetan exile community. As Beijing continues to insist on regulating the reincarnation process, the Dalai Lama has explicitly stated that any candidate chosen by China will not be accepted by Tibetans.
As the spiritual leader goes on to promote Tibetan autonomy, his remarks feed continued tensions regarding Tibet’s future as part of China.
