China asserts that it should be involved in the selection process for Tibetan spiritual leaders.
Tibetan Buddhists will have a new spiritual leader, according to the Dalai Lama.
Attention has turned to the delicate subject of his successor as the Nobel Peace Prize laureate approaches 90 years old.
Each Dalai Lama is regarded as a “Living Buddha.” The current one fled to India in 1959 after a failed revolt against Tibetan Communists, and he claims his followers there might be able to find him again.
The Dalai Lama’s veto of his own reincarnation is supported by the United States, who Beijing views as separatist and insists it is a veto.
How will religion and regional politics be weighed against each other in the selection process?
What are the chances of having two Dalai Lamas if it doesn’t work?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Robbie Barnett is a professor at SOAS University of London and a writer and researcher on contemporary Tibetan-Chinese history and politics.
Andy Mok, Senior Researcher at the Center for China and Globalization, is a geopolitical analyst and researcher.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply