00:0090th birthday celebrations for the Dalai Lama started early here in Dharamsala in northern
00:11India. Particularly significant this year as the Tibetan spiritual leader brings an
00:15update about his succession. But as thousands come together to commemorate another year of
00:20the Dalai Lama's life, it marks one more year away from his homeland, Tibet.
00:30Born Lamo Tondup in 1935 to a family of farmers, he was just two years old when he was recognized as
00:36the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism,
00:42by a Tibetan government search party. In 1940, he was enthroned here in the Potala Palace in
00:48Tibet's capital Lhasa and renamed Tenzin Gyatso. But a decade later in 1950, China's new leaders,
00:56the Chinese Communist Party invaded and annexed Tibet, proving an immense political challenge
01:01for the 15-year-old. After protests to the international community and initially seeking
01:07refuge on the Tibetan-Indian border, the Dalai Lama returned to Lhasa a year later, with Beijing
01:13promising Tibet could have regional autonomy and that the Dalai Lama could control internal affairs.
01:19He would go on to meet with the founder of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong,
01:23and the most senior communist leaders. But Chinese treatment of Tibetans deteriorated,
01:30and after almost a decade of tensions and fears over the Dalai Lama's safety,
01:34a full-scale uprising broke out in 1959, which was violently suppressed. The Dalai Lama was forced
01:41to flee, disguised as a soldier, making his way across the border to India, where he was granted asylum.
01:47Ever since then, he's lived in this Himalayan town, where he established a government in exile,
01:59and has dedicated his life to advocating for Tibet and his people. On that journey,
02:04he's become one of the world's most recognisable figures, meeting with presidents and religious leaders
02:09around the world. And becoming an icon for compassion and peace, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
02:21But his influence and popularity have long been a thorn in the side for Beijing. The Chinese government
02:28accuses the Dalai Lama of being a separatist, and previous visits to Taiwan have particularly been
02:34met with an angry response. Beijing continues to demand the Dalai Lama recognize Tibet and Taiwan
02:41as integral parts of China, if he ever wishes to return, as well as pressuring international leaders
02:47to give him the cold shoulder.
02:49And this pressure from China is forcing the Tibetan Buddhist community to accelerate the timeline of
03:08traditions, as the question looms of who will succeed the Dalai Lama after his death,
03:14a matter where Beijing claims to hold authority.
03:16Generally, while a Lama is still alive, there won't be any talk about his reincarnation.
03:24That talk only comes when that Lama passes away. But in this time, the discussion is coming mainly
03:29because the Chinese government is interfering in the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
03:35The Dalai Lama has previously said his successor will be born outside of China,
03:40but there has also been speculation as to whether the lineage would continue.
03:44And on Wednesday, he put the rumours to bed, confirming that he will indeed have a successor.
03:50The Dalai Lama says that his office, the Gadenfujang Trust, has the sole authority to recognize his future reincarnation.
04:16But as many Tibetans fear, China continues to reject this, holding on to an imperial-era selection ritual.
04:23The Dalai Lama's return is to be held in the international investigation.
04:26It must be held in the international investigation.
04:28It must be held in the international investigation.
04:29It must be held in the international investigation.
04:30As Beijing seeks to tighten its grip on religious practices within its borders,
04:35Tibetans around the world fear a successor chosen not by faith, but by force.
04:40And as the Dalai Lama nears 90, so too does a turning point,
04:44not just for his faith, but the identity and autonomy of an entire people.
04:48Kamishu and Izzy Wells for Taiwan Plus.
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