The Chinese Ambassador in India warned New Delhi that Dalai Lama’s succession process is a prerogative of China and that “no external interference” will be allowed in the reincarnation of the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader, who turned 90 on Sunday (6).
“The Chinese government defends the principle of independence and self -government in religious issues and manages the reincarnation of living Buddhas, including Dalai Lama, according to the Law. No external interference will be allowed,” said Ambassador Xu Feihong in a message published on his profile on the social network.
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- China states that Dalai Lama’s reincarnation process must respect the country’s laws
The diplomat stated that “the granting of his status (Dalai Lama) and his religious titles is a prerogative of the central government of China.”
“The Chinese government is opposed to any attempted organizations or foreign individuals to interfere or dictate the reincarnation process,” added Xu Feihong.
“Xizang (the Chinese name for Tibet) is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. Tibetan Buddhism has its origins in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau of China. The main regions where Tibetan Buddhism is practiced are in China. The Dalai Lama lineage was formed and evolved in the Tibetan region of China,” said the diplomatic representative.
The ambassador’s message comes after the minister of matters on Indian minorities, Kiren Rijiju, told local press last Thursday that the decision on the reincarnation of Dalai Lama fits exclusively to the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, who has been exiled in India since 1959.
A day earlier, Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, assured that his lineage will continue after his death and that his reincarnation will be administered by his closest circle, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the foundation that manages his authority and property, thus challenging China’s intentions to manage the succession of the spiritual leader.
In a later statement, the Indian government framed the succession of Dalai Lama as a purely religious question and said that New Delhi “takes no position” on issues of faith.
Dalai Lama celebrated its 90th anniversary this Sunday in the Indian city of Dharamshala, where it remains exiled, with Indian authorities, Supreme Lamas and its intimate circle.
Although India does not formally recognize the Tibetan government in exile, its decision to receive and protect the spiritual leader is a constant point of diplomatic friction between New Delhi and Beijing, who have their own border disputes in Himalayan.
After the annexation of Tibet through China in the early 1950s, tens of thousands of Tibetan fled to India, the country that houses the largest number of refugees from this territory.
