(This was recently released by the AP)
Tibetans Oppose China on Reincarnations (September 2, 2007, AP)
A Chinese order claiming Beijing must approve all of Tibet's spiritual leaders is an attempt to further repress and undermine the religious culture of the Himalayan region, the Tibetan government-in-exile said Sunday. For centuries, the search for the reincarnation of lamas — including Tibet's spiritual head, the Dalai Lama — has been carried out by select Tibetan monks. The new order, which came into force Saturday, states that all future incarnations of living Buddhas related to Tibetan Buddhism "must get government approval," according to China's official Xinhua News Agency. It also prevents any outside source from having "influence" in the selection process, the agency reported Friday. China's officially atheistic communist government has increasingly sought to direct Tibetan Buddhism, for centuries the basis of Tibet's civil, religious, cultural and political life. Reincarnated lamas often lead religious communities and oversee the training of monks, giving them enormous influence over religious life in Tibet.
Wow…that really would be power to stop reincarnations J
