According to reports, it is the Dalai lamas 90th birthday on July 6 and representatives from hinduism, christianity, islam, baha’i, judaism and janism were guests at the celebrations held in 3 seperate locations in India and China.
China has governed Tibet since its annexation in 1950 and it is now considered a part of China. According to a report, under 18s must now attend Chinese state run schools and learn mandarin. Reportedly, they are not allowed to study buddhism until they are 18 years old and must be patriotic to China. According to the report, a Tibet scholar said that China wants to turn the lion of tibetan culture into a poodle.
Reportedly, the Dalai lama who is the spiritual leader of tibetan buddhism and historically the political leader of Tibet has lived in exile in India since 1959. According to the report, he handed over political authority to a democratically elected government in exile in 2011 who had talks this year with China about succession plans. Reportedly, the Dalai lama has suggested that his predecessor would be from the free world, but experts say that China is expected to name their own Dalai lama. According to the report, Beijing who are described as having a propaganda apparatus in place say that the process of succession should be handled in accordance with national law. Reportedly, they have been sending teams to offices, schools and villages to teach people about the new regulations for choosing a Dalai lama.