Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Aug 6: A senior Chinese-appointed official in Tibet has sparked renewed controversy by asserting Beijing’s exclusive authority over the selection of the next Dalai Lama, directly rejecting long-standing Tibetan religious traditions and the stated position of the current Dalai Lama.
Karma Tsetan (Ch: Gama Cedain), chairman of the so-called Xizang Autonomous Region, declared that the search for the 15th Dalai Lama will be conducted solely within China and must be approved by the Chinese central government. “The central government has the indisputable final say,” Tsetan said at a press conference organised by the State Council Information Office, according to Chinese state media, China Daily on Tuesday.
Karma Tsetan further claimed that “reincarnation has never been solely determined by the Dalai Lama himself,” insisting it must follow Chinese procedures including the controversial use of the “golden urn” method and state approval. He asserted that the legitimacy of the Dalai Lama’s title “originates from the central government.”
The current and 14th Dalai Lama, revered as the symbol of peace worldwide, has repeatedly made it clear that his successor will be born in a “free country”, away from Chinese political interference. In a landmark message on July 2, delivered at the 15th Tibetan Religious Conference in Dharamshala, the Dalai Lama reaffirmed that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and only the institution he established, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, holds the exclusive right to recognise his reincarnation.
“I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” he said in a pre-recorded video address to over 180 Tibetan Buddhist leaders. “The sole authority regarding my reincarnation lies with the Gaden Phodrang Trust.”
The Dalai Lama also spoke on the matter during his 90th birthday celebrations in July, reiterating that any reincarnation declared by the Chinese government will not be recognised by Tibetan Buddhists.
Tibetan communities recall the precedent of 1995, when the Dalai Lama identified the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. Days later, the six-year-old boy was abducted by Chinese authorities and replaced with a state-appointed figure—a move denounced by human rights organisations and governments worldwide. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima remains missing to this day, making him one of the world’s longest-standing cases of enforced disappearance.
Observers say that Beijing’s claims over the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation are part of its broader campaign to Sinicise Tibetan religion, culture, and identity. By installing a Beijing-approved Dalai Lama in the future, critics say the Communist Party aims to neutralise Tibetan resistance and undermine the spiritual unity of Tibetans both inside Tibet and in exile.
The evil communist regime is scrambling to get its bloody hands on the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama! It has no credibility whatsoever! It’s a communist system for which religion is anathema! So, how can you dabble with such issues as reincarnation when the CCP proclaims itself as an atheist entity! Besides, it has painted the Dalai Lama in the darkest possible image to dehumanise Him and the Tibetan people. Therefore, why do they want the reincarnation of the person it demonised and claimed to have thrown Tibet into the darkest corner of the world from which the Chinese communists have supposedly “liberated” Tibet! The CCP’s lies and propaganda about Tibet and the Dalai Lama has now been throughly exposed and totally discredited in front of the world!!! This proves the Chinese invasion of Tibet is illegal and totally unwarranted! The Dalai Lama is a world leader! He is respected across the world transcending physical, cultural and religious borders! The Chinese communist’s attempt to hoodwink the world by installing a dummy “Dalai Lama” is another commentary on the total failure of its brutal and illegal occupation of Tibet. To date 160 Tibetans from all walks of life, both male and female have self-immolated to reject Chinese communist oppression and tyranny! The CCP is committing genocide in occupied Tibet by forcible removal of more than a million Tibetan children from their homes and dump them in colonial boarding schools to be indoctrinated into Chinese Han culture in order to destroy Tibetan identity and national language! This is both ethnic cleaning and genocide to destroy part or whole of a people and its cultural and religious traditions. OCCUPIED TIBET IS A PHOTO COPY OF ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF GAZA! Nobody is allowed into occupied Tibet nor anybody from Tibet is allowed to go out of occupied Tibet!!! Since the time of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, the Ganden Phodrang has been both the independent Government of Tibet and the Dalai Lama’s institution. THEREFORE, ONLY THE GANDEN PHODRANG HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECOGNITION OF DALAI LAMA AND NO ONE ELSE LEAST OF ALL THE INFIDEL CHINESE COMMUNISTS! The Chinese communists are creating a phantasy to suit their evil design about the so called “golden urn”. This is purely a political ploy to give some credence to their manufactured fabrications. The fact is eight Dalai Lamas were recognised long before the Manchus came on the scene. Even during the Manchus era, ONLY TWO Dalai Lamas used the urn which was offered by the Manchu emperor as an article of respect and reverence to the Dalai Lams since they were devout Buddhists! During that era, it was common to offer such urns or bowls as a symbol of devotion. The great Mila Repa specifically went to search for Marpa Lotsawa to become his student. When he finally met Marpa after much searching, he offered a bronze urn to his would be teacher Marpa to show his utmost respect and devotion. The offering of urn or bowl was a symbol of respect and devotion and did not carry any political overtones. The imperialist Chinese regimes concocted a narrative that implied political “authority” of some sort to fulfil their imperialist designs. NOTHING CAN BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. IT IS A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED RUSE AND HAS NO CREDENCE WHATSOEVER AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE URN MILA OFFERED TO MARPA!