-by Dhundup Gyalpo for Hindustan Times

It is high time for other countries to step up and clarify their stance on whether the Tibetan people have the right to religious belief and the freedom to choose their own religious leaders, thereby helping prevent China from creating an embarrassing situation for itself.

These days, one often hears that China may choose the next Dalai Lama. Alarming as it may sound to many around the globe, my answer is invariably and emphatically: It does not matter. For the Tibetan people, it does not matter if China chooses its own Dalai Lama. Just as with the Chinese-appointed Panchen Lama, a Chinese-appointed Dalai Lama will only cause embarrassment for China. Despite Beijing’s all-out efforts to promote their Panchen Lama as an authentic spiritual leader, the Tibetan people have firmly and wholeheartedly refused to offer him even a modicum of obeisance.

Unlike the Panchen Lama’s case, where the real Panchen Lama along with his entire family have “disappeared”, when that critical time eventually dawns upon us, the world will have another Dalai Lama, born in a free country, recognised in accordance with Tibetan religious traditions and customs, and chosen as per the clear instructions left behind by the current Dalai Lama. Click here to read more.