China Tightens Grip on Dalai Lama Reincarnation Process

In a bold assertion of control, China has declared its absolute authority over the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, sidelining the spiritual leader's influential voice in the matter. The pronouncement was made by Gama Cedain, chair of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), at a news conference to commemorate TAR's 60th anniversary, according to Tibetan Review.

Cedain, who also serves as the deputy secretary of the Communist Party's TAR committee, emphasized that only the central government has the ultimate authority in the Dalai Lama's reincarnation process. He insisted that this must occur within China, under Communist Party-sanctioned procedures, including the contentious golden urn method, and require Beijing's explicit endorsement, Tibetan Review reported. This starkly opposes the Dalai Lama's stance, who, on his 90th birthday, reasserted that a non-profit foundation he established would exclusively decide the matter, free from Beijing's influence.

For decades, China has labeled the Dalai Lama a separatist, despite his calls for authentic autonomy within China rather than full independence. Meanwhile, Beijing continues to strive for comprehensive ideological dominance over Tibet, as highlighted by Tibetan Review. This is not the first instance of Chinese intervention in Tibetan religious leadership appointments. Notably, in 1995, the six-year-old boy identified by the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama was abducted and replaced with a state-approved figure. The original boy, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, remains missing.

Gama Cedain's statements signal Beijing's ongoing strategy to leverage political control over Tibetan Buddhism, diminishing the spiritual rights of its people. As once-sacrosanct traditions like the Dalai Lama's reincarnation become tools in China's campaign against Tibetan autonomy and identity, Tibetan Review notes the growing pressures faced by the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)