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WORLD NEWS Thursday 3 July 2025
The Dalai Lama says he plans to reincarnate, ensuring the

institution will continue

By SHEIKH SAALIQ since the creation of the in-
Associated Press stitution in 1587. He has re-
DHARAMSHALA, India iterated in the past that his
(AP) — Tibetan spiritual successor would be born
leader the Dalai Lama on outside China.
Wednesday said the cen- The Dalai Lama laid out his
turies-old Tibetan Buddhist succession plan in a record-
institution will continue af- ed statement that was tele-
ter his death, ending years vised at a religious gather-
of speculation that started ing of Buddhist monks in
when he indicated that he Dharamshala.
might be the last person to He said the process of find-
hold the role. ing and recognizing his re-
Speaking at prayer cele- incarnation lies solely with
brations ahead of his 90th the Gaden Phodrang Trust
birthday on Sunday, the a non-profit he founded in
Nobel Peace Prize-winning 2015 that oversees matters
spiritual head of Tibetan related to the spiritual lead-
Buddhism said that the er and the institute of the
next Dalai Lama should be Dalai Lama.
found and recognized as “No one else has any such
per past Buddhist traditions, authority to interfere in this
while signalling that China matter,” he said, adding
should stay away from the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama presides over an event celebrating his 90th birthday that the search for a future
process of identifying his according to a Tibetan calendar at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharamshala, India, Monday, June Dalai Lama should be car-
successor. 30, 2025, ahead of his birthday according to the Gregorian calendar on July 6. ried out in “accordance

Associated Press

The Dalai Lama’s succes- with past tradition.”
sion plan is politically con- The decision, however, there eventually will be rival the town of Dharamshala Asked Wednesday about
sequential for most Tibet- is expected to irk China, Dalai Lamas one appoint- in India since then, help- the Dalai Lama’s an-
ans who oppose China’s which has repeatedly said ed by Beijing, and one by ing establish a democratic nouncement, Chinese For-
tight control of Tibet and that it alone has the au- senior monks loyal to the government-in-exile while eign Ministry spokesperson
have struggled to keep thority to approve the next current Dalai Lama. also traveling the world to Mao Ning at a daily news
their identity alive, in their religious leader. It insists the Tenzin Gyatso became the advocate autonomy for briefing said “the reincar-
homeland or in exile. It is reincarnated figure must 14th reincarnation of the the Tibetan people. nation of the Dalai Lama
also profound for Tibetan be found in China’s Tibetan Dalai Lama in 1940. He fled Tibetan Buddhists believe must adhere to the princi-
Buddhists who worship him areas, giving Communist Tibet when Chinese troops the Dalai Lama can choose ples of domestic search in
as a living manifestation authorities power over who crushed an uprising in the the body into which he is China” and “approval by
of Chenrezig, the Buddhist is chosen. Tibetan capital Lhasa in reincarnated, as has hap- the central government.”q
god of compassion. Many observers believe 1959 and has been living in pened on 14 occasions

Belarus frees more prisoners while simultaneously cracking down

on dissent

By YURAS KARMANAU government pardoned as rigged. country had ever seen. into exile abroad. The sup-
Associated Press and released 14 prisoners, Tens of thousands of peo- Authorities unleashed a vi- pression of dissent drew
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — but at least 60 more peo- ple took to the streets in olent crackdown, detain- international condemna-
Belarus’ authoritarian ple were arrested on politi- protest, in the biggest ing and beating thousands tion, and the U.S. and the
President Alexander Lu- cally motivated charges, demonstrations that the and driving many more European Union imposed
kashenko announced par- said Pavel Sapelka, a rights sanctions on Belarus.
dons for 16 more prisoners advocate with the Viasna As of Wednesday, Viasna
on Wednesday, a gesture human rights center, the has designated 1,164 peo-
that comes as the unre- country’s oldest and most ple behind bars as politi-
lenting crackdown on dis- prominent rights group. cal prisoners. The number
sent continues. Sapelka, in conversation includes 38 journalists and
The newly pardoned pris- with The Associated Press, the group’s founder, Ales
oners were convicted on compared the situation in Bialiatski, who won the No-
a variety of criminal charg- Belarus to “revolving doors, bel Peace Prize in 2022. At
es, including extremism a where new political prison- least eight political prison-
charge often used against ers take the place of those ers have died behind bars.
dissidents and govern- released.” Lukashenko, who in Janu-
ment critics in Belarus. Hu- Mass arrests and convic- ary secured another term
man rights advocates wel- tions of government critics in office in another elec-
comed the release of the in Belarus have continued tion the opposition de-
prisoners, but stressed that since 2020, when Lukash- nounced as a sham, has
it is taking place as more enko was handed a sixth Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting recently been pardoning
people are being arrested term in office in an elec- of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on the sidelines of some political prisoners,
the Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, June 27,
in politically driven cases. tion that the opposition 2025. seeking to improve ties
Last month, the Belarusian and the West denounced Associated Press with the West. q