Tibet News
In an event, namely the “International Webinar on the Religious Rituals and Historical Customs of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas,” which was held as a sideline event of the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council, on Monday from an offline venue at the China Tibetology Research Center in Beijing, Chinese govt claimed to have "reaffirmed" its jurisdiction over Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. This comes after the Kashag had recently asserted its position that "no government nor any individual has the right to interfere" in the matter of Dalai Lama's reincarnation.
“The affairs related to the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama belong to the domestic affairs of Tibetan Buddhism in China, which must respect the wishes of the Chinese Tibetan Buddhist community and the majority of religious believers, and accept the management of the Chinese government,” the report quoted Zheng Dui, Senior Fellow and Director-General at the China Tibetology Research Center (CTRC). He reportedly added that this claim "not only has sufficient historical basis, but also conforms to the provisions of the current law, which cannot be shaken by any separatist forces". China unlawfully invaded Tibet and continues to carry out its attempts to Sinicize Tibet even today. China also claims that Tibet has been a part of China despite multiple historical proofs that Tibet has always been an independent country.
Ten experts and scholars of related studies reportedly made speeches during the event, demonstrating "the development of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, the religious rituals and historical customs of the reincarnation, and the practice of the sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism".
The management of the reincarnation affairs of the Living Buddhas, including the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, is a social responsibility that the Chinese central government must perform throughout the course of history, Wang Yanzhong, director at the institute of Ethnology and Anthropology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences reportedly noted.
"The localization and sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism is an inevitable requirement for the survival and development of the religion itself,” Jewon Koondhor, "a returned Tibetan from Switzerland" was quoted to have said.
Other speakers were quoted to have made remarks like "Religions adapting to socialist society is an important component of the sinicization of Buddhism", "the core of reincarnation system is that the central government is the highest authority and has the highest decision-making power" and how "the main believers of Tibetan Buddhism are in China".
This seminar, along with other attempts (workshops, discussion forums, workshops, propaganda through social media) being made to spread Chinese propaganda, have to be seen as a tool in CCP's tool kit to coontrol the narrative and assert its wrongful claim over not just Tibet, but its religion, culture and tradition.
The Kashag, in a position statement, had recently stated that it firmly believes that His Holiness will live to the ripe age of 113 as per propitious prescient and the repeated assurances of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. "This religious activity has to be conducted as per the responsibilities that His Holiness the Dalai Lama enshrines and entrusts", the statement added regarding the reincarnation debate.
This also comes ahead of CCP's 20th Party Congress which is scheduled to be held this month.
Edited and collated by Team TRC