China blames US of 'meddling' in Tibet in garb of 'religious freedom'

As the US intensified its bid to prevent China from handpicking the Dalai Lama's successor, Beijing in response accused Washington of meddling in Tibet using the United Nations. The US wanted the UN to take up the succession issue of the Tibetan spiritual leader said Sam Brownback, the United States' ambassador of international religious freedom. Brownback further told the media that the choice of the Dalai Lama's successor belongs to the Tibetan Buddhists and not the Chinese government. In response to this, China was furious and called it the US' efforts to meddle in China's internal affairs under the pretext of religious freedoms.

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China seeks to declare the next Dalai Lama

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said to the Press that the US' bid which stands in for of Tibet will fail and will be opposed by the international community. China claims that it is their Government which has brought development in the Himalayan region of Tibetan. Recently it has been hinting to choosing the next Dalai Lama who experts speculate would be a supporter of China. Beijing awaits the fall of Dalai Lama as it believes his campaign for Tibet will vanish with him.

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Dalai Lama will choose his own successor

The spiritual leader is now in his 80s and subject to various ailments. While he was active in his younger days, now he has slowed down. He was reported to have a chest infection yet no serious ailment has been reported as of now. China chose its own Panchen Lama in 1995 and detained a six-year-old identified for the influential Buddhist position. The child is considered the world's youngest political prisoner of the officially atheist government. Responding to Beijing's; indications, Dalai Lama has decided to break the tradition of choosing a young child as his successor. He said he will choose his own successor who would probably be a girl or declare himself the last Lama.

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(With inputs from agencies)