China has intensified its interference in the reincarnation process of the next Dalai Lama, according to a report released on Wednesday by the International Tibet Network (ITN). The 30-page document, titled ‘Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and the Geopolitics of Reincarnation,’ alleges that Beijing aims to use the Dalai Lama’s passing as an opportunity to end global support for Tibet’s cause and exclude the spiritual leader from his own succession planning.
The report claims China’s ‘Sinicization’ of Tibetan Buddhism aims to sever the deep connection between Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, involving high-tech surveillance, policing of religious sites, and campaigns of ‘patriotic re-education’ that have included torture and sexual abuse. The CCP’s strategy, according to internal briefings, also aims to influence Western governments and media to end international support for Tibet in the ‘post-Dalai era.’ The case of the 11th Panchen Lama, replaced controversially by a Chinese candidate in 1995, serves as a precedent for Beijing’s plans. Despite these measures, loyalty to the Dalai Lama among Tibetans remains strong.
