Penpa Tsering Challenges Beijing’s Reach into Tibetan Traditions

Tsering, addressing the conference at the Prague Congress Centre, specifically targeted Beijing’s interference in the reincarnation process of the Dalai Lama. He dismissed the legitimacy of an atheist state exerting authority over Buddhist succession, asserting that such matters remain the exclusive purview of the India-registered Gaden Phodrang Trust. His critique encompassed the use of the Golden Urn and China’s Order No. 5 as tools to manipulate religious traditions.

Beyond spiritual matters, the Tibetan leader highlighted the geopolitical risks posed by China’s actions on the Tibetan Plateau. He characterized the region as the "Water Tower of Asia," warning that Beijing’s dam construction projects and refusal to release hydrological data jeopardize the water and food security of downstream nations. Tsering urged Western democracies to reduce economic reliance on China, cautioning that the regime is actively exporting its model of authoritarian surveillance globally. Throughout his visit, Tsering held high-level meetings with international policymakers and human rights advocates, including German Bundestag member Roderich Kiesewetter and representatives from the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, to build a coalition in support of Tibetan autonomy.