Dalai Lama to relinquish political role
The Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, said Thursday that he will pass the reins of political power to the elected prime minister of the self-proclaimed Tibetan government in exile.
The announcement formalizes the signals that the Tibetan leader has been sending for years in his efforts to avoid a political vacuum after his death and to ensure credible leadership amid Chinese crackdowns and mounting global pressure. But the Dalai Lama, 75, made a point of saying he wasn't "retiring," and his global status and reputation ensure that he will continue to play a major role in Tibetan affairs.
The decision to elevate Lobsang Tenzin, 71, the prime minister in exile in India who is known as Samdhong Rinpoche, will be presented to the Tibetan parliament in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala on Monday.
"As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power," the Dalai Lama said in a statement Thursday. "Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect."
The move comes as the Chinese government appears increasingly eager to maintain political control over the restive Tibetan plateau, which saw a major uprising in March 2008. Recent pro-democracy demonstrations in the Middle East and North Africa have unnerved the tight-fisted Communist Party in Beijing. And its last two attempts to influence succession of leadership by controlling the Karmapa Lama and the Panchen Lama, among Tibetan Buddhism's most senior positions, have proved unsuccessful.
"Their last two efforts ended in failure," said Robbie Barnett, director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University. "The Karmapa fled China, and their candidate for Panchen Lama has not been accepted by the Tibetan people."
Barnett said it may be difficult for outsiders to understand why China gets so worked up about a religious leader, but he noted that control and stamping out any potential threat is fundamental to their psyche.
"There's deep anxiety for China that they don't leave a vulnerability for the party that allows a new, charismatic leader to emerge," he said. "A key Chinese official recently told me that the specter of the Dalai Lama returning is more serious than a vast army."
Kate Saunders, a London-based spokeswoman with the International Campaign for Tibet, said the move represents a further step in ensuring greater democracy in among Tibetans, both in China and in exile.
The announcement came on the 52nd anniversary of the Dalai Lama's escape from Tibet amid a Chinese government crackdown in 1959.
Source:Los Angeles Times
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Dalai Lama has announced he will retire from political life within days.
In a speech posted on the internet and delivered in the northern Indian hilltown of Dharamasala, the veteran Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader said that he would ask the Tibetan parliament in exile to make the necessary constitutional changes to relieve him of his "formal authority" as head of the Tibetan community outside China.
The assembly, which meets early next week, is expected to approve his request. Though long-anticipated, the move away from the limelight by one of the world's best known political figures signals a dramatic change.
Analysts and supporters have described the decision of the Dalai Lama, whose office traditionally combines spiritual and temporal roles, as "historic".
Kate Saunders, of the International Campaign for Tibet, said that the decision meant that "at a perilous moment in the history of Tibet" the Dalai Lama was "expressing his faith in the Tibetan people."
The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has progressively distanced himself from a direct political role and expressed a desire to live as a simple monk.
"As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power. Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect," the 76-year-old told an audience at his traditional appearance to mark the anniversary of the Tibetan people's uprising of 1959 against Communist Chinese authorities in the Tibetan capital Lhasa and his own escape to India.
Next week the Tibetan community in exile will vote to elect a new Kalon Tripa or prime minister who will, depending on the constitutional changes, take on the Dalai Lama's political functions.
The Dalai Lama, who is revered by his followers as the 14th reincarnation of the Buddha Avalokitesvara who achieved spiritual enlightenment, said that many of his supporters had asked him not to take the step.
"Since I made my intention clear I have received repeated and earnest requests both from within Tibet and outside, to continue to provide political leadership,"he said. "My desire to devolve authority has nothing to do with a wish to shirk responsibility. It is to benefit Tibetans in the long run."
Last year, at a conference in Delhi, the Dalai Lama said that a new set of political leaders were emerging among exiled Tibetans. Since 1960 an assembly has been elected by voters in exile but since 2001 the office of prime minister has been elected too. For the coming polls, 80,000 voters have registered in India, Nepal, Bhutan, US, Europe, Australia and elsewhere.
The Dalai Lama had already described himself as "semi-retired" before this announcement. As unrest rippled through Tibetan areas in 2008, he threatened to resign as leader of the administration-in-exile if violence continued.
Two years ago, Der Spiegel, the German news magazine, asked him whether it was possible to resign as Dalai Lama, given that Tibetans believe him to be the latest reincarnation in a long line of religious leaders. He told them he would "no longer play a political role or a pronounced spiritual role".
The question of the spiritual succession is highly controversial and has the potential to spark serious fractures within the Tibetan community. Chinese authorities are likely to exploit any opportunities offered by the transition of power.
Some Tibetans would like to see the Karmapa Lama, a young cleric in his late 20s, succeed the Dalai Lama as the figurehead of the community in exile. Others believe it is time for a more fundamental change. Last year the prime minister of the government-in-exile told the Guardian: "The age of the old monks is passing and we are looking forward to a young, energetic, lay leadership."
The Dalai Lama is considering ways of averting any succession crisis, possibly through the unprecedented step of seeking his own reincarnation.
The speech, analysts said, was particularly aimed at the six million Tibetans living in China. The Dalai Lama and his senior advisors have been concerned in recent years about a gulf opening between the views and values of the two communities.
In today's speech the Dalai Lama spoke of recent events in the Middle East, describing them as "remarkable non-violent struggles for freedom and democracy".
"I am a firm believer in non-violence and people power and these events have shown once again that determined non-violent action can indeed bring about positive change," he said. "We must all hope that these inspiring changes lead to genuine freedom, happiness and prosperity for the peoples in these countries."
The Dalai Lama also reminded his audience of the importance of preserving Tibet's environment, a key theme in recent years.
Source:The Guardian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An interesting note: I tend to look through Google News and browse over a few alternate articles before posting. The first hit for Dalai Lama was about his retirement. The second, however, was a fascinating set of articles about how China has declared that Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, does not have a right to choose his successor any way he wants and must follow the historical and religious tradition of reincarnation.
The announcement formalizes the signals that the Tibetan leader has been sending for years in his efforts to avoid a political vacuum after his death and to ensure credible leadership amid Chinese crackdowns and mounting global pressure. But the Dalai Lama, 75, made a point of saying he wasn't "retiring," and his global status and reputation ensure that he will continue to play a major role in Tibetan affairs.
The decision to elevate Lobsang Tenzin, 71, the prime minister in exile in India who is known as Samdhong Rinpoche, will be presented to the Tibetan parliament in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala on Monday.
"As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power," the Dalai Lama said in a statement Thursday. "Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect."
The move comes as the Chinese government appears increasingly eager to maintain political control over the restive Tibetan plateau, which saw a major uprising in March 2008. Recent pro-democracy demonstrations in the Middle East and North Africa have unnerved the tight-fisted Communist Party in Beijing. And its last two attempts to influence succession of leadership by controlling the Karmapa Lama and the Panchen Lama, among Tibetan Buddhism's most senior positions, have proved unsuccessful.
"Their last two efforts ended in failure," said Robbie Barnett, director of the Modern Tibetan Studies Program at Columbia University. "The Karmapa fled China, and their candidate for Panchen Lama has not been accepted by the Tibetan people."
Barnett said it may be difficult for outsiders to understand why China gets so worked up about a religious leader, but he noted that control and stamping out any potential threat is fundamental to their psyche.
"There's deep anxiety for China that they don't leave a vulnerability for the party that allows a new, charismatic leader to emerge," he said. "A key Chinese official recently told me that the specter of the Dalai Lama returning is more serious than a vast army."
Kate Saunders, a London-based spokeswoman with the International Campaign for Tibet, said the move represents a further step in ensuring greater democracy in among Tibetans, both in China and in exile.
The announcement came on the 52nd anniversary of the Dalai Lama's escape from Tibet amid a Chinese government crackdown in 1959.
Source:Los Angeles Times
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Dalai Lama has announced he will retire from political life within days.
In a speech posted on the internet and delivered in the northern Indian hilltown of Dharamasala, the veteran Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader said that he would ask the Tibetan parliament in exile to make the necessary constitutional changes to relieve him of his "formal authority" as head of the Tibetan community outside China.
The assembly, which meets early next week, is expected to approve his request. Though long-anticipated, the move away from the limelight by one of the world's best known political figures signals a dramatic change.
Analysts and supporters have described the decision of the Dalai Lama, whose office traditionally combines spiritual and temporal roles, as "historic".
Kate Saunders, of the International Campaign for Tibet, said that the decision meant that "at a perilous moment in the history of Tibet" the Dalai Lama was "expressing his faith in the Tibetan people."
The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has progressively distanced himself from a direct political role and expressed a desire to live as a simple monk.
"As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power. Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect," the 76-year-old told an audience at his traditional appearance to mark the anniversary of the Tibetan people's uprising of 1959 against Communist Chinese authorities in the Tibetan capital Lhasa and his own escape to India.
Next week the Tibetan community in exile will vote to elect a new Kalon Tripa or prime minister who will, depending on the constitutional changes, take on the Dalai Lama's political functions.
The Dalai Lama, who is revered by his followers as the 14th reincarnation of the Buddha Avalokitesvara who achieved spiritual enlightenment, said that many of his supporters had asked him not to take the step.
"Since I made my intention clear I have received repeated and earnest requests both from within Tibet and outside, to continue to provide political leadership,"he said. "My desire to devolve authority has nothing to do with a wish to shirk responsibility. It is to benefit Tibetans in the long run."
Last year, at a conference in Delhi, the Dalai Lama said that a new set of political leaders were emerging among exiled Tibetans. Since 1960 an assembly has been elected by voters in exile but since 2001 the office of prime minister has been elected too. For the coming polls, 80,000 voters have registered in India, Nepal, Bhutan, US, Europe, Australia and elsewhere.
The Dalai Lama had already described himself as "semi-retired" before this announcement. As unrest rippled through Tibetan areas in 2008, he threatened to resign as leader of the administration-in-exile if violence continued.
Two years ago, Der Spiegel, the German news magazine, asked him whether it was possible to resign as Dalai Lama, given that Tibetans believe him to be the latest reincarnation in a long line of religious leaders. He told them he would "no longer play a political role or a pronounced spiritual role".
The question of the spiritual succession is highly controversial and has the potential to spark serious fractures within the Tibetan community. Chinese authorities are likely to exploit any opportunities offered by the transition of power.
Some Tibetans would like to see the Karmapa Lama, a young cleric in his late 20s, succeed the Dalai Lama as the figurehead of the community in exile. Others believe it is time for a more fundamental change. Last year the prime minister of the government-in-exile told the Guardian: "The age of the old monks is passing and we are looking forward to a young, energetic, lay leadership."
The Dalai Lama is considering ways of averting any succession crisis, possibly through the unprecedented step of seeking his own reincarnation.
The speech, analysts said, was particularly aimed at the six million Tibetans living in China. The Dalai Lama and his senior advisors have been concerned in recent years about a gulf opening between the views and values of the two communities.
In today's speech the Dalai Lama spoke of recent events in the Middle East, describing them as "remarkable non-violent struggles for freedom and democracy".
"I am a firm believer in non-violence and people power and these events have shown once again that determined non-violent action can indeed bring about positive change," he said. "We must all hope that these inspiring changes lead to genuine freedom, happiness and prosperity for the peoples in these countries."
The Dalai Lama also reminded his audience of the importance of preserving Tibet's environment, a key theme in recent years.
Source:The Guardian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An interesting note: I tend to look through Google News and browse over a few alternate articles before posting. The first hit for Dalai Lama was about his retirement. The second, however, was a fascinating set of articles about how China has declared that Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, does not have a right to choose his successor any way he wants and must follow the historical and religious tradition of reincarnation.