US says Chinese govt should have no role in Dalai Lama succession; raises Panchem Lama

The United States on March 9 reiterated that the Chinese government should have no role in the succession process of Dalai Lama. While replying to a question on US President Joe Biden’s position on the issue of Tibet’s spiritual leader’s reincarnation, the State Department Spokesperson Ned Price noted China’s interference in the succession of the Panchen Lama more than 25 years ago. He even went on to call Beijing’s interference in the matter an “outrageous abuse of religious freedom”. 

Price said, “We believe that the Chinese Government should have no role in the succession process of the Dalai Lama”. 

He added, “Beijing's interference in the succession of the Panchen Lama more than 25 years ago, including by, "disappearing the Panchen Lama as a child and attempting to replace him with a People's Republic of China (PRC) government-chosen successor remains an outrageous abuse of religious freedom”. 

US threatens to sanction Chinese govt

It is worth noting that the Chinese government had occupied Tibet back in 1950 and has ever since tried to control the region. Beijing views the Dalai Lama as overseer of an “evil clique” that seeks to split Tibet from China. The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, on the other hand, who was chosen to guide the self-autonomous region of Tibet by its people, was quickly sent to exile, amidst the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese oppression. He fled to neighbouring India on March 30, 1959, where he currently lives. 

In recent years, China has intensified its efforts to eradicate the Dalai Lama from the religious lives of Tibetans to crush their identity. The United States, however, has threatened to sanction the Chinese government officials who chose a reincarnation of the Dalai Lama over the wishes of the Tibetan people. According to ANI, the Dalai Lama has already stated that if he chooses to reincarnate, the responsibility for finding the 15th Dalai Lama will be on the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which is an India-based group he had founded after going into exile. 

Dalai Lamas are believed to be patrons and saints of Tibet and they follow a long history of religious inclination who are highly revered for their wisdom, non-violent principles and faith by people from all religions across the world. The 14th Dalai Lama was born in Tibet in 1935 and was formally trained in the school of Tibetan Buddhism.

(With inputs from ANI)