Tibet Support Groups endorse 14th Dalai Lama’s sole authority on reincarnation

Representatives of Tibet Support Groups on Saturday unanimously endorsed the exclusive authority of the 14^th Dalai Lama to determine matters related to his reincarnation, warning against any interference by China in the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

The endorsement came through the Dharamsala Declaration, adopted on the first day of the Special International Tibet Support Groups Conference being held in Dharamsala.

The declaration was read out by Kai Muller, representative of Tibet Support Groups, in the presence of Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration, and RK Khrimey, former MP from Arunachal Pradesh and National Convener of the Core Group for Tibetan Cause.

In the declaration, the participants reaffirmed that the authority to identify the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama rested solely with the centuries-old institution of the Dalai Lama and the Gaden Phodrang Trust, acting in consultation with traditional Tibetan Buddhist spiritual authorities. They said the statements made by the Dalai Lama on July 2, 2025 on the issue of “Tibetan religious freedom and recognition of reincarnations in Tibetan Buddhism” should be recognised as the “exclusive and final authority” regarding his reincarnation.

The declaration asserted that any attempt by the government of the People’s Republic of China to interfere in this sacred Tibetan religious tradition would constitute a grave violation of international norms and the fundamental right to freedom of religion.

The participants also expressed support for the democratic governance system of Tibetans in exile led by the Central Tibetan Administration and called upon governments, international organisations and civil society groups worldwide to extend formal recognition and engagement with it as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.

The declaration further expressed concern over what it described as ongoing repressive Chinese policies in Tibet and renewed the international community’s commitment to the Tibetan cause. It called for the resumption of direct dialogue between representatives of the Dalai Lama or the democratically elected Tibetan leadership and the Chinese government without preconditions.