President of Central Tibetan Administration – Lobsang Sangay has slammed China for trying to interfere in the succession process of the Dalai Lama.
Speaking to news agency ANI, President of Central Tibetan Administration – Lobsang Sangay said that China has nothing to with the succession process of the Dalai Lama.
“Chinese Government has zero role as far as reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is concerned,” said Lobsang Sangay.
“They can’t interfere, whatever they do will be a duplicate, we are original,” added Lobsang Sangay, President of Central Tibetan Administration.
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Earlier, the United States also warned China from interfering in the succession process of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
“The Chinese government should not interfere in the succession process of Tibet’s spiritual leader Dalai Lama and as it is an outrageous abuse of religious freedom,” the United States had said.
“We believe that the Chinese Government should have no role in the succession process of the Dalai Lama,” US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price had said.
China occupied Tibet in 1950 and has ever since tried to control the region.
The 14th Dalai Lama, who is currently 85-year-old, had earlier announced that upon turning 90 he will decide whether he should be reincarnated.
The Dalai Lama stated that if he chooses to reincarnate, the responsibility for finding the 15th Dalai Lama will be on the Gaden Phodrang Trust, an India-based group he had founded after going into exile.
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The Dalai Lama, whom China views as overseer of an “evil clique” that seeks to split Tibet from China, escaped to India in 1959.
In recent years, China has intensified its efforts to eradicate the Dalai Lama from the religious lives of Tibetans to crush their identity.