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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Tibetans in exile condemn TAR official's remark on China having final say on Dalai Lama's reincarnation
Dharamshala (Himachal PrTibetans in exile, including senior leaders, activists, and officials of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), on Sunday strongly condemned a recent statement made by a Tibetan official from the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), claiming that the Chinese government has the final say in the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama. They refuted these statements and labelled the official as a "Chinese puppet" while asserting that the decision rests solely with the Dalai Lama himself. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Tibetan exiles argued that such interference undermines religious freedom and Tibet's cultural traditions, categorically rejecting the legitimacy of such statements and labelling the official a mere mouthpiece of Chinese propaganda. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Photos Captured the Exact Wrong Moment Read More Undo A prominent Tibetan writer and activist, Tsundue called the TAR official a "Chinese puppet" and emphasised that the Dalai Lama is the overall representative of the Tibetan community and tradition. Tenzin Tsundue, a prominent Tibetan writer and activist, told ANI, "The moment you say 'Tibetan official', it's a misnomer. A person who is just Tibetan by blood and culture doesn't represent the Tibetan inspiration, culture, or tradition. Here, what is called Tibetan actually represents the Chinese government; therefore, he represents Chinese propaganda. Truly, it is his holiness the Dalai Lama whom we, both Tibetans inside and outside, look up to unanimously as the overall representative of the Tibetan community and the tradition that he upholds. Therefore, the final say about the reincarnation of his holiness the Dalai Lama rests solely on what his holiness has to say. We all wait for him to make the decision, and that decision will be respected and carried out by Tibetans inside and outside and all those who follow Tibetan Buddhism around the world." Live Events The controversy arose after the TAR official's comments, which align with Beijing's long-standing position on controlling the selection process of Tibetan spiritual leaders, triggering widespread outrage within the global Tibetan community. The Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile , Dolma Tsering, accused the TAR official of parroting China's narrative and questioned China's legitimacy to control Tibet. "The official of the Tibet Autonomous Region has parroted what China is trying to sell to the world. By claiming ownership of selecting or electing the Golden Urn, they do not thereby make the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama their own. Due to reincarnation, the personality is that of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. He has stated that he will be born in a free country, implying that for him, being born in Tibet necessitates Tibet's freedom. It should have freedom of expression. It should have human rights available there... People should have the freedom to visit their people within Tibet. At present, Tibet is the biggest prison in the world. So if somebody says it's our responsibility and we have the full authority, I just want to ask them, please, to justify their legitimacy to control Tibet first, because their invasion of Tibet in 1959 was against the UN conventions and resolutions. So first justify that, and justify why you say Tibet has been a part of China since antiquity," she stated. The official spokesperson of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile , Tenzin Lekshay, highlighted China's lack of religious legitimacy and stated that the Chinese government has no role to play in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. "Recently, a Tibetan official from the so-called TAR region has expressed that the Chinese authority has a final say on the reincarnation of His Holiness. It is historically not true, and the Chinese government, the People's Republic of China, is being run by the communist regime, which does not believe in religion. So a person or a government or any institution that doesn't believe in religion - how can they interfere in a matter which is concerned with religious tradition so therefore there is no way that the Chinese government has a legitimate role to play in the reincarnation of his Holiness and His Holiness has categorically mentioned many times that the final say on the reincarnation of his Holiness, the Dalai Lama, will be with his Holiness himself and not with any other institution or individual and that includes China," he told ANI. Lekshay added that such statements from Tibetan officials under Chinese influence are deliberate tactics by Beijing to gain perceived legitimacy. "There are a bunch of Tibetan officials in the Chinese communist cadres, and they are in the ransom files, but they are also under Chinese pressure. Do they have the right to say what they feel about? I doubt it. Therefore, China has deliberately made sure that a Tibetan comes in the face to say that the final say goes with the Chinese government; otherwise, there is no legitimacy on the Chinese part, so it's a deliberate attempt from the Chinese side. Because that's what they have; they have no other resort but to let in the Tibetans to talk about it," he added. The Dalai Lama, who has recently celebrated his 90th birthday, had previously indicated that his reincarnation could occur outside Chinese-controlled territory to preserve the institution's integrity. On July 2, the Dalai Lama stated that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a foundation established by him, can only recognise future reincarnations, and no one else has the authority to decide on the matter. This statement rules out any say for China in the process of naming the next Dalai Lama.
AsiaOne
15 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Thai gallery removes China-focused artworks after 'pressure' from Beijing, Asia News
BANGKOK - One of Thailand's top art galleries removed, at China's request, materials about Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities and Hong Kong from an exhibit on authoritarian governments, according to a curator and communications seen by Reuters. In what the artists called the latest attempt by Beijing to silence critics overseas, the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre changed multiple works by artists in exile in the exhibit on authoritarian governments collaborating across borders. When Reuters visited on Thursday (Aug 7), some works previously advertised and photographed had been removed, including a multimedia installation by a Tibetan artist, while other pieces had been altered, with the words "Hong Kong", "Tibet" and "Uyghur" redacted, along with the names of the artists. Three days after the show, Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity, opened on July 24, Chinese embassy staff, accompanied by Bangkok city officials, "entered the exhibition and demanded its shutdown", said the exhibit's co-curator, Sai, a Myanmar artist who goes by one name. In a July 30 email seen by Reuters, the gallery said: "Due to pressure from the Chinese Embassy - transmitted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and particularly the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, our main supporter - we have been warned that the exhibition may risk creating diplomatic tensions between Thailand and China." The email said the gallery had "no choice but to make certain adjustments", including obscuring the names of the Hong Kong, Tibetan and Uyghur artists. Several days later, Sai told Reuters, the embassy demanded further removals. The Chinese embassy in Bangkok and foreign ministry in Beijing, and Thailand's foreign ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration referred Reuters to the gallery, which did not respond to an email seeking comment. A gallery representative at the exhibit said the team had agreed not to comment on the issue. 'Authoritarian pressure' Rights groups say China carries out a sophisticated campaign of harassment against critics overseas that has often extended into the art world, allegations Beijing has denied. Sai, co-founder of Myanmar Peace Museum, the organisation that put together the exhibition, said the removed pieces included Tibetan and Uyghur flags and postcards featuring Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as a postcard depicting links between China and Israel. "It is tragically ironic that an exhibition on authoritarian co-operation has been censored under authoritarian pressure," he said. "Thailand has long been a refuge for dissidents. This is a chilling signal to all exiled artists and activists in the region." Sai said he was speaking from overseas, where he had fled after Thai police sought to find him. The superintendent of Pathumwan Police Station, who oversees the gallery's Bangkok neighbourhood, told Reuters he had received no reports of such an incident. Thailand this year returned to China 40 Uyghurs, members of a mainly Muslim ethnic minority numbering about 10 million in China's far western region of Xinjiang, in a secretive deportation. UN experts had warned they would be at risk of torture, ill-treatment and "irreparable harm". China denies abusing Uyghurs. The Bangkok exhibition also features works by artists in exile from Xinjiang as well as Russia, Iran and Syria. China has been steadily increasing its influence in Southeast Asia, where governments are balancing co-operation with the regional giant against concerns over sovereignty. Beijing recently sought unsuccessfully to block screenings in New Zealand of a Philippine documentary on that country's struggles in contested parts of the South China Sea amid alleged harassment from the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia, local media reported. It was pulled from a film festival in the Philippines in March due to "external factors", the filmmakers said. Black screen Chinese officials returned to the Bangkok gallery on Wednesday, asked to remove another flyer and reiterated "enforcement of the One China policy", Sai said, citing updates from contacts. That policy, observed by governments that have relations with Beijing, acknowledges Beijing's position that the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing all of China, including Taiwan. China has never renounced the use of force over the self-governed island. Taiwan's government says only Taiwan's people can decide their future. Foreign governments refer to Tibet and Xinjiang as part of China. Works withdrawn from the Bangkok exhibit by Tibetan artist Tenzin Mingyur Paldron included video of Tibetans carrying Palestinian flags while calling for accountability for genocide and a film titled Listen to Indigenous People. The works were previously advertised, and Sai shared images of them previously on display with Reuters. "By forcing (the gallery) to remove significant parts of my work, the Chinese government has once again demonstrated that it desperately wishes to cut Tibetans off from the rest of the world," said Paldron, adding that China did not "want its complicity in other colonialisms and genocides to be recognised". "Who are museums for?" he said. "They should be for the people, not dictators of any ideology." When Reuters visited, video monitors showed a black screen. A film by a Uyghur artist played, but there was a black mark where her name had been. [[nid:720084]]
Yomiuri Shimbun
15 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Thai Gallery Removes China-Focused Artworks after ‘Pressure' from Beijing
BANGKOK, Aug 8 (Reuters) – One of Thailand's top art galleries removed, at China's request, materials about Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities and Hong Kong from an exhibit on authoritarian governments, according to a curator and communications seen by Reuters. BANGKOK, Aug 8 (Reuters) – One of Thailand's top art galleries removed, at China's request, materials about Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities and Hong Kong from an exhibit on authoritarian governments, according to a curator and communications seen by Reuters. In what the artists called the latest attempt by Beijing to silence critics overseas, the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre changed multiple works by artists in exile in the exhibit on authoritarian governments collaborating across borders. When Reuters visited on Thursday, some works previously advertised and photographed had been removed, including a multimedia installation by a Tibetan artist, while other pieces had been altered, with the words 'Hong Kong', 'Tibet' and 'Uyghur' redacted, along with the names of the artists. Three days after the show, 'Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity', opened on July 24, Chinese embassy staff, accompanied by Bangkok city officials, 'entered the exhibition and demanded its shutdown', said the exhibit's co-curator, Sai, a Myanmar artist who goes by one name. In a July 30 email seen by Reuters, the gallery said: 'Due to pressure from the Chinese Embassy – transmitted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and particularly the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, our main supporter – we have been warned that the exhibition may risk creating diplomatic tensions between Thailand and China.' The email said the gallery had 'no choice but to make certain adjustments', including obscuring the names of the Hong Kong, Tibetan and Uyghur artists. Several days later, Sai told Reuters, the embassy demanded further removals. The Chinese embassy in Bangkok and foreign ministry in Beijing, and Thailand's foreign ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration referred Reuters to the gallery, which did not respond to an email seeking comment. A gallery representative at the exhibit said the team had agreed not to comment on the issue. 'AUTHORITARIAN PRESSURE' Rights groups say China carries out a sophisticated campaign of harassment against critics overseas that has often extended into the art world, allegations Beijing has denied. Sai, co-founder of Myanmar Peace Museum, the organisation that put together the exhibition, said the removed pieces included Tibetan and Uyghur flags and postcards featuring Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as a postcard depicting links between China and Israel. 'It is tragically ironic that an exhibition on authoritarian cooperation has been censored under authoritarian pressure,' he said. 'Thailand has long been a refuge for dissidents. This is a chilling signal to all exiled artists and activists in the region.' Sai said he was speaking from overseas, where he had fled after Thai police sought to find him. The superintendent of Pathumwan Police Station, who oversees the gallery's Bangkok neighbourhood, told Reuters he had received no reports of such an incident. Thailand this year returned to China 40 Uyghurs, members of a mainly Muslim ethnic minority numbering about 10 million in China's far western region of Xinjiang, in a secretive deportation. U.N. experts had warned they would be at risk of torture, ill-treatment and 'irreparable harm'. China denies abusing Uyghurs. The Bangkok exhibition also features works by artists in exile from Xinjiang as well as Russia, Iran and Syria. China has been steadily increasing its influence in Southeast Asia, where governments are balancing cooperation with the regional giant against concerns over sovereignty. Beijing recently sought unsuccessfully to block screenings in New Zealand of a Philippine documentary on that country's struggles in contested parts of the South China Sea amid alleged harassment from the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia, local media reported. It was pulled from a film festival in the Philippines in March due to 'external factors', the filmmakers said. BLACK SCREEN Chinese officials returned to the Bangkok gallery on Wednesday, asked to remove another flyer and reiterated 'enforcement of the One China policy', Sai said, citing updates from contacts. That policy, observed by governments that have relations with Beijing, acknowledges Beijing's position that the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing all of China, including Taiwan. China has never renounced the use of force over the self-governed island. Taiwan's government says only Taiwan's people can decide their future. Foreign governments refer to Tibet and Xinjiang as part of China. Works withdrawn from the Bangkok exhibit by Tibetan artist Tenzin Mingyur Paldron included video of Tibetans carrying Palestinian flags while calling for accountability for genocide and a film titled 'Listen to Indigenous People'. The works were previously advertised, and Sai shared images of them previously on display with Reuters. 'By forcing (the gallery) to remove significant parts of my work, the Chinese government has once again demonstrated that it desperately wishes to cut Tibetans off from the rest of the world,' said Paldron, adding that China did not 'want its complicity in other colonialisms and genocides to be recognised'. 'Who are museums for?' he said. 'They should be for the people, not dictators of any ideology.' When Reuters visited, video monitors showed a black screen. A film by a Uyghur artist played, but there was a black mark where her name had been. (Reporting by Poppy McPherson; Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Juarawee Kittisilpa, and Chayut Setboonsarng in Bangkok, Marissa Davidson and Bahareh Khodabandeh in London; Editing by William Mallard) In what the artists called the latest attempt by Beijing to silence critics overseas, the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre changed multiple works by artists in exile in the exhibit on authoritarian governments collaborating across borders. When Reuters visited on Thursday, some works previously advertised and photographed had been removed, including a multimedia installation by a Tibetan artist, while other pieces had been altered, with the words 'Hong Kong', 'Tibet' and 'Uyghur' redacted, along with the names of the artists. Three days after the show, 'Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity', opened on July 24, Chinese embassy staff, accompanied by Bangkok city officials, 'entered the exhibition and demanded its shutdown', said the exhibit's co-curator, Sai, a Myanmar artist who goes by one name. In a July 30 email seen by Reuters, the gallery said: 'Due to pressure from the Chinese Embassy – transmitted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and particularly the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, our main supporter – we have been warned that the exhibition may risk creating diplomatic tensions between Thailand and China.' The email said the gallery had 'no choice but to make certain adjustments', including obscuring the names of the Hong Kong, Tibetan and Uyghur artists. Several days later, Sai told Reuters, the embassy demanded further removals. The Chinese embassy in Bangkok and foreign ministry in Beijing, and Thailand's foreign ministry did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration referred Reuters to the gallery, which did not respond to an email seeking comment. A gallery representative at the exhibit said the team had agreed not to comment on the issue. 'AUTHORITARIAN PRESSURE' Rights groups say China carries out a sophisticated campaign of harassment against critics overseas that has often extended into the art world, allegations Beijing has denied. Sai, co-founder of Myanmar Peace Museum, the organisation that put together the exhibition, said the removed pieces included Tibetan and Uyghur flags and postcards featuring Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as a postcard depicting links between China and Israel. 'It is tragically ironic that an exhibition on authoritarian cooperation has been censored under authoritarian pressure,' he said. 'Thailand has long been a refuge for dissidents. This is a chilling signal to all exiled artists and activists in the region.' Sai said he was speaking from overseas, where he had fled after Thai police sought to find him. The superintendent of Pathumwan Police Station, who oversees the gallery's Bangkok neighbourhood, told Reuters he had received no reports of such an incident. Thailand this year returned to China 40 Uyghurs, members of a mainly Muslim ethnic minority numbering about 10 million in China's far western region of Xinjiang, in a secretive deportation. U.N. experts had warned they would be at risk of torture, ill-treatment and 'irreparable harm'. China denies abusing Uyghurs. The Bangkok exhibition also features works by artists in exile from Xinjiang as well as Russia, Iran and Syria. China has been steadily increasing its influence in Southeast Asia, where governments are balancing cooperation with the regional giant against concerns over sovereignty. Beijing recently sought unsuccessfully to block screenings in New Zealand of a Philippine documentary on that country's struggles in contested parts of the South China Sea amid alleged harassment from the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia, local media reported. It was pulled from a film festival in the Philippines in March due to 'external factors', the filmmakers said. BLACK SCREEN Chinese officials returned to the Bangkok gallery on Wednesday, asked to remove another flyer and reiterated 'enforcement of the One China policy', Sai said, citing updates from contacts. That policy, observed by governments that have relations with Beijing, acknowledges Beijing's position that the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing all of China, including Taiwan. China has never renounced the use of force over the self-governed island. Taiwan's government says only Taiwan's people can decide their future. Foreign governments refer to Tibet and Xinjiang as part of China. Works withdrawn from the Bangkok exhibit by Tibetan artist Tenzin Mingyur Paldron included video of Tibetans carrying Palestinian flags while calling for accountability for genocide and a film titled 'Listen to Indigenous People'. The works were previously advertised, and Sai shared images of them previously on display with Reuters. 'By forcing (the gallery) to remove significant parts of my work, the Chinese government has once again demonstrated that it desperately wishes to cut Tibetans off from the rest of the world,' said Paldron, adding that China did not 'want its complicity in other colonialisms and genocides to be recognised'. 'Who are museums for?' he said. 'They should be for the people, not dictators of any ideology.' When Reuters visited, video monitors showed a black screen. A film by a Uyghur artist played, but there was a black mark where her name had been.
