Dalai Lama says Tibetans, not China, will choose successor

The Dalai Lama's recent affirmation that only his office holds the authority to identify his successor is a strong counter to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) ongoing attempts to interfere in Tibetan religious affairs, according to the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT), as reported by Taipei Times.

- TBG NETWORK

The 14th Dalai Lama, who turned 90 on Sunday, declared last week that the institution of the Dalai Lama would continue and that his successor, the 15th Dalai Lama, would be born outside of China.

"In accordance with past tradition, the search for my reincarnation and the naming of a 15th Dalai Lama will be carried out," he said, firmly stating that only his office has the legitimate authority to determine his reincarnation, Taipei Times reported.