Only His Holiness has say on his
reincarnation: Tibetan PM
January 12, 2016 18:39 Tenzin
Monlam
DHARAMSHALA,
January 12: The Tibetan Prime Minister (Sikyong) Dr. Lobsang Sangay
on Saturday rubbished all claims made by Beijing over the
reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, asserting that ‘historically,
politically, spiritually and logically,’ only His Holiness has the
right over the matter.
“Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong once said that ‘Religion is
poison,’ so why the Chinese authorities are keen to recognize the
reincarnation,” Sikyong told the Japanese media while talking on
the present situation in Tibet, at Gokokuji Temple in Tokyo.
Sikyong stated that Chinese authority has destroyed ‘over 98% of
monasteries in Tibet and burned Tibetan Buddhist scriptures’. He
also compared the Chinese regime to North Korea and apartheid South
Africa.
He also talked about the high level of scrutiny and surveillance
the Tibetans are subjected to, and that they live under constant
fear. “Tibetans are issued identity cards with 2nd generation
high-tech chips by the Chinese authority to monitor their
movements.”
The Tibetan PM also criticized the Chinese façade of developing
Tibetan towns into cities, leading to further marginalization of
the Tibetans. “The urbanization of Tibet with a huge influx of
Chinese migrants and large scale exploitation of Tibet’s natural
environment and resources are influencing sharp rise in the
temperature,” Sikyong said while addressing the audience on
‘Melting Tibet, Threat to Asia’.
Expressing his concern over the environmental situation of the
Tibetan Plateau he said that ‘Tibet as a strategic area in terms of
environment and its direct impact on the world’s ecosystem’ must be
protected. “Because of the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama and Buddhists around the world, we know why Tibet is important
spiritually but lesser known fact is the environmental and
geopolitical significance of Tibet,” said Sikyong.
He also blamed the water diversion projects by China and its mining
activities for further damaging the fragile ecosystem on the
plateau.
“Chinese mega hydropower projects on the rivers originating in the
Tibetan plateau would further accelerate the damage on Tibet’s
fragile ecosystem and threaten the flow of rivers in the downstream
region,” he said.