Will a 'Free Tibet' die with the Dalai Lama?

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Front Burner

As a spiritual and governmental leader, the Dalai Lama has spent his beingness gathering a federation successful exile, but imaginable disputes implicit his rightful successor could mean the extremity of an autarkic Tibet.

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 10, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

A antheral   with glasses successful  gold-coloured covering  is pictured.

On his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama announced succession plans for aft his death. But with China acceptable to capitalize connected the resulting vacuum, volition the Tibetan nation-in-exile clasp unneurotic without him? (Ashwini Bhatia/The Associated Press)

Front Burner26:56Will a 'Free Tibet' dice with the Dalai Lama?

The Dalai Lama has spent astir his full big beingness arsenic a exile from his homeland of Tibet. Fleeing Chinese persecution successful the 1950s, helium has built a federation successful exile, striving to sphere Tibetan civilization arsenic not conscionable the spiritual person of Tibetan Buddhism, but arsenic a planetary ambassador for his people's cause.

But helium knows a modulation is coming. On his 90th day this week, the Dalai Lama announced plans for however his successor volition beryllium chosen aft his death. Since that successor volition beryllium a child, that means years of powerfulness vacuum that China is astir definite to capitalize on, including attempting to sanction a rival Dalai Lama of their own.

Mujib Mashal is the South Asia bureau main with the New York Times. He explains what's astatine involvement for the radical of Tibet — and Asian geopolitics much broadly — successful the coming powerfulness conflict erstwhile the Dalai Lama passes on.

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