Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, May 5: The President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Penpa Tsering has confirmed that senior Tibetan Buddhist leaders will convene for a conference in Dharamshala from July 2 to 4, just days ahead of the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Speaking to NDTV, President Tsering said, “We will be holding a conference of all the religious heads of Tibetan Buddhism in Dharamshala from July 2nd to 4th. And we are hoping that His Holiness will address this conference.”
The announcement comes amid growing speculation over the succession of the Dalai Lama, a deeply sensitive issue that has drawn increasing interference from the Chinese government. Responding to Beijing’s repeated assertions that it will appoint the next Dalai Lama, the CTA President stated firmly, “A devout Buddhist practitioner will never accept that,” he stated firmly. “We all know the system of reincarnation is very unique to Tibetan Buddhism… it’s the person who is going to decide where he or she will be born. It’s not the communist government.”
The meeting is especially awaited in the context of the octogenarian Tibetan leader’s September 2011 statement where he said that he would consult with senior Tibetan Buddhist figures upon reaching the age of 90 to assess the future of his lineage. While the CTA President declined to confirm whether a decision on the 15th Dalai Lama’s succession would be made at the upcoming conference, he did not rule it out. “That has to come from His Holiness,” he said, adding, “Even today His Holiness keeps reassuring us that he will live up to 113 years… So we believe this Dalai Lama will live very long.”
President Tsering acknowledged that any decision could include the traditional paths of reincarnation or emanation—a practice in which a spiritual successor is named during the predecessor’s lifetime. However, based on His Holiness’s recent book, Voice for the Voiceless, the CTA President believes the indication leans more toward reincarnation. With the July conference drawing near, the Tibetan community and global supporters alike await with great anticipation what the Dalai Lama may choose to share.
The Tibetan leader also addressed the appointment of US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues, a key diplomatic position that advocates for Tibetan issues and rights which has remained vacant under the current administration stating that “We’re still trying to figure out and also see what are the possibilities that we can reach out to the State Department. This is a statutory congressional decision, which we believe the State Department should be honouring, but now we’ll have to see how it evolves.”
He further confirmed that the annual $12 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has currently ceased. Of that funding, $7 million supported the Tibetan Resilience Programme—focused on education, healthcare, and rehabilitation; $3 million was dedicated to building CTA institutional capacity; and $2 million funded the digitization of Tibetan scriptures. While visiting Washington, D.C., the CTA leader said he is lobbying congressional and administration officials to restore the funding. “There may still be a little leeway to manoeuver if the administration is really keen to get it back on track,” he noted.
On the topic of relations with China, President Tsering confirmed the continuation of informal contact, despite public denials from Beijing. “Yes, there are personal meetings also,” he said. “It’s more about them trying to understand what we are thinking. They are particularly interested in His Holiness’s age, health, and the succession plan.”
However, he struck a cautious tone regarding the prospects for meaningful dialogue. “If you look at what President Xi Jinping is doing in China, particularly in Tibet, Uyghur, and Mongol areas, it doesn’t look like there could be any common ground—even if contact is re-established,” he warned.
