Tue Aug 05 05:47:04 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, along with some additional context you might find relevant:

**Headline: China Claims Sole Authority Over Next Dalai Lama’s Selection, Rejecting Current Leader’s Wishes**

**Beijing, August 5, 2025** – The Chinese government has asserted its exclusive right to oversee the selection of the next Dalai Lama, directly contradicting the wishes and intentions of the current 14th Dalai Lama. A high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official in Tibet declared today that the reincarnation process would be conducted domestically and subject to final approval by the central government in Beijing.

Gama Cedain, the deputy secretary of the CCP committee in Tibet, stated at a press conference that the central government holds the “indisputable final say” in the reincarnation, citing adherence to “strict religious rituals and historical customs.” He emphasized that the Dalai Lama himself has never had the authority to decide his own reincarnation.

This announcement comes shortly after the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebration, where he reiterated his intention to reincarnate and stated that a non-profit institution established by him would have the sole authority to identify his reincarnation, potentially outside of China. Beijing views the Dalai Lama as a separatist figure and seeks to exert control over Tibetan Buddhism.

The CCP’s stance is not new. The Chinese government has a history of attempting to control religious institutions within its borders. Decades ago, after the Dalai Lama recognized a six-year-old boy as the Panchen Lama (Tibetan Buddhism’s second-highest ranking leader), the boy disappeared. Beijing then installed its own Panchen Lama, further fueling concerns about religious freedom in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama has previously stated his reincarnation would be born outside of China and has ruled out Beijing’s involvement in choosing his successor. This latest declaration from China sets the stage for a potential conflict over the future leadership of Tibetan Buddhism and the spiritual well-being of its followers.

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