The Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday celebrations on Sunday raised fraught questions surrounding his succession plans.
The spiritual leader last week said only his inner circle has the authority to identify his reincarnation, a direct challenge to China: Beijing has said it must approve the next head of Tibetan Buddhism.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in self-imposed exile in India, has suggested his reincarnation may be found outside of China, and some Tibetans worry Beijing will try to name a rival.
Long perceived as a symbol of resistance against Chinese control of Tibet, the Dalai Lama finds himself increasingly “caught geopolitically” between New Delhi and Beijing, an expert told The Guardian.
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