In a recent parliamentary dialogue, the European Union clarified that it opposes to any Chinese interference in the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s succession. According to the complete dialogue, the EU reiterated its position on the situation of Chinese interference in the traditional religious matters of the Tibetan people.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell in a parliamentary dialogue last week clarified that the selection of Tibetan religious leaders should happen as per traditional norms without any interference from the government. He stressed that China should respected the succession process of Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Borrell was answering a parliamentary question tabled earlier this year by a group of five members of the European Parliament from four political factions.
“The selection of religious leaders should happen without any government interference and in respect of religious norms,” Josep Borrell said July 16, adding that, “In the framework of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, the European External Action Service has repeatedly expressed the position that China needed to respect the succession process of the Dalai Lama.”
The International Campaign for Tibet in a report welcomed the position of the EU saying that it demonstrates the EU’s unequivocal support for the religious freedom of Tibetans. It further urged for a more formal statement on behalf of the 27 EU Member States in order to demonstrate the EU’s unified approach on this critical issue.
The Chinese Government has already adopted several laws aimed at reshaping Tibetan religious norms in order to legitimize its interference in the appointment of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including the ‘State Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5’ and the revised Regulations on Religious Affairs. The Communist government has publicly expressed their aim to appoint the 15th Dalai Lama according to their regulations.
However, the His Holiness Dalai Lama has stated that if a decision to continue the institution of the Dalai Lama is made, the responsibility will primarily rest with the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which will be informed by his written instructions. He had further stressed that his successor would never be born in place where there is no freedom, ruling out the possibility of being found under any region controlled by China.