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China said that the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama must be approved by its central government and take place within China.
A file photo of Dalai Lama (AP)
China on Wednesday said the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama must be approved by the Chinese central government.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also reiterated that Beijing had to approve the identity of the successor and that it had to be done in China through a centuries-old ritual.
This comes hours after the Dalai Lama said that he will be reincarnated and that his non-profit institution will have the sole authority to identify his reincarnation, countering China’s insistence that it will choose the successor of the Tibetan Buddhist leader.
According to Reuters, Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled to India from Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist.
The remarks by the Dalai Lama, who turns 90 on Sunday, end speculation among millions of followers about whether there will be another Dalai Lama after his death.
The Nobel peace laureate was speaking during a week of celebrations to mark his birthday, which was expected to be closely watched by the United States, India and China for clues about his successor for strategic reasons.
“I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” the Dalai Lama said in a video message to a gathering in Dharamshala.
He added that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the non-profit organisation that he set up to maintain and support the tradition and institution of the Dalai Lama, has the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation in consultation with the heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
“They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition, no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,” the Dalai Lama said.
Later, Samdhong Rinpoche, a senior official of the Gaden Phodrang Trust, told reporters that the Dalai Lama was in good health and he had not given any written instructions yet on the succession.
He said the successor can be of any gender and that their nationality would not be restricted to Tibet.
Penpa Tsering, leader of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government-in-exile in India, said the Dalai Lama would be open to visiting Tibet if his health permits and if there were no restrictions from China.
He also said that the US had lifted some restrictions on funds for Tibetans in exile and that the Tibetan government was looking for alternate sources of funding.
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Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
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