China reacted this Monday (2) to the announcement that the Dalai Lama was honored in the Best Audiobook category at the Grammy National Recording Academy Awards.
At a press conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that the 14th Tibetan spiritual leader “is not a purely religious figure” but rather “a political exile” who, according to the official Chinese position, has been involved for decades in “separatist activities against China under the pretext of religion.”
In this sense, the communist regime expressed its firm opposition to the use of such awards, in the words of the spokesperson, “as a tool for political maneuvers against China”.
The comment came after reports that the 90-year-old Dalai Lama, who has resided in the Indian city of Dharamshala since his exile in 1959, had received an award for the audiobook “Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama”. The Tibetan leader had already received international recognition, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
For Beijing, issues related to Tibet, including the Dalai Lama’s eventual succession, are “internal political issues.” China’s stance towards the Tibetan leader has been the target of recurring criticism from Western governments and international human rights organizations, who question restrictions on religious and cultural freedom in the region.
Last year, the Chinese regime even stated that it has the “final and indisputable authority” over the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
