The Dalai Lama has recently relinquised all his political responsibilities to remain solely the spiritual leader and guide of his people. He stepped aside from political office when Dr. Lobsang Sangay was sworn into office as the new Kalon Tripa of Tibet on Aug. 8, 2011. However, those following his religious beliefs want him to keep offering his spiritual guidance and love him as their most promintent Lama.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, has clearly stated since 2007 that the goal of the Tibetan people is an acceptable kind of autonomy and not independence. He promotes a rule of mutual respect and peace between the Han-Chinese and the Tibetans.
Beijing’s focus on economic progress is not enough to stabilize Tibet. What is needed is a double strategy of progress and respect with Chinese flexibility to initiate various sets of ‘soft autonomy’, possible in several different ways by letting a hundred new flowers of mutual understanding and real harmony blossom either in the larger traditional region of Old Tibet where Tibetan culture is predominant or at least in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) only, the artificial borders set by the Chinese.
In addition, Tibetans hurt when their religious beliefs are assailed. China's government yet again butted heads with the Dalai Lama over the question of his reincarnation. The 76-year-old Buddist leader said that he will wait until he is "around 90" to determine whether there will be a 15th Dalai Lama to succeed him, and suggested he might choose that successor himself. China's foreign ministry claims that the title can be conferred only by the government in Beijing and any such decision taken by religious authorities would otherwise be illegal.
This meddling of political authorities in religious affairs is reminiscent of medieval practices in Europe. But present day China lives in the XXI Century and Tibetans do not consider themselves Chinese. They are ready to accept Chinese rule if their minority rights within the new Chinese boundaries encompassing Tibet are respected.
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Can China hold back the tide of discontent in their own soil and Tibet
?"
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