Prof Tenzin Dorjee* contends that what emerges as clear from the Dalai Lama’s most recently published book, Voice for the Voiceless, is that despite China’s waiting game and resolve to choose their own reincarnation of him, the question of the legitimacy of its rule in Tibet will become ever more pronounced, given that the power on both this and the reincarnation issues reside in the Tibetan people and the Dalai Lama himself alone.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be 90 years old on July 6, 2025. Since the age of 19, and until he fully devolved his centuries-old political authority to a democratically elected political leader, the Kalon Tripa – which has since evolved into Sikyong (Political leader a.k.a. President) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) located in Dharamshala, India – he dealt with a succession of Communist China’s leaderships, directly as well as through his envoys. His most recent book – Voice for the Voiceless (2025) published by HarperCollins, NY – succinctly, truthfully, and substantively describes over seven decades of Tibet’s struggle with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the outcomes of his consistent efforts to resolve the Tibet issues.
In a nutshell, His Holiness and the Tibetan people did everything they could, but the PRC demonstrated lack of any genuine interest for substantive discussions to resolve the Tibet issues. Instead, it turned the Tibet issues into the personal interest of the return of the Dalai Lama (not to Tibet but to Beijing) and his privileges. At the same time, it has demonized the Dalai Lama as “a wolf in monk’s robes,” falsely accusing him of being a splittist who allegedly calls for Tibet’s complete or semi-independence.
The Dalai Lama concludes, “…there was neither the courage nor the necessary political will to do so (resolve Tibet issue through substance negotiation) on the part of Chinese leadership.” Still, he hopes the PRC will come to a sense and genuinely resolve Tibet issues for the mutual benefits of the two sides, as clearly outlined in the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People (MGATP) and the Note on the Memorandum and in personal communications (NMGATP) presented by his envoys in November 2008 to the Chinese side.
I am an intergroup and intercultural communication scholar with published articles and book chapters addressing identity negotiation, social justice, peace, and conflict issues, especially the Sino-Tibetan issues. Intractable conflicts such as the Tibet issues persist mostly due to lack of inclusivity, conflict resolution competencies, and mutually beneficial solutions. Across the peace and conflict resolution research literatures, I have not come across such farsighted, inclusive, and mutually beneficial solutions as the Middle Way and Nonviolent Approach and Solution (MWANVAS) proposed by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans.
My late parents smuggled me out as an infant when they escaped to India in the 1960’s following His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Like most Tibetan exiles, I grew up in India as a refugee and learned about how India struggled and gained independence from the British empire. In the early days of exile, Tibetans also had independence as our goal.
Ideally and justifiably, it makes perfect sense for occupied and oppressed people anywhere to sacrifice themselves to gain their independence even if it takes generations. I do not know of any occupied country that forwent independence and instead worked on mutually beneficial goals of both the oppressor and the oppressed. Notably, Tibetans, despite their genocidal experiences and continued nightmare suffering under the PRC, did that under the enlightened leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tibet proposed MWANVAS most courageously and altruistically and stopped asking for independence.
Surely, not all Tibetans are happy about this changed goal; many continue to fight for Tibet’s independence, as did the late Taktser Rinpoche (alias Professor Thupten Jigme Norbu), and as the Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest non-profit Tibetan organization, continues to do. I respect and admire them, for historically Tibet was an independent country and the USA Congress has recognized her as an occupied country. Indeed, Professor Hon-Shiang Lau has researched pre-1949 imperial Chinese records and published his findings in a book saying that Tibet was never a part of China.
Personally, thinking hard on it, I have supported the MWANVAS and even argued in a book chapter (2013) that it could be a model for resolving intractable conflicts in other parts of the world. For me, the question is not if Tibetans want independence because that’s a rhetorical question. It is our birth right. For me, the question is about the survival of Tibet and Tibetans; therefore, doing what we can, realistically speaking, to save Tibet is the need of the hour.
His Holiness succinctly, truthfully, and substantively describes in the sixteen chapters of Voice for the Voiceless what is also as stated in the MGATP and NMGATP – that Tibet must survive with its distinctive people, identity, culture, environment, and religion. A genuine autonomy for all of Tibet within the federation of China can enable the survival of the Tibetan civilization. The PRC wants to keep Tibet and a genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people can ensure their wish, national security, and restoration of dignity.
Unfortunately, China miscalculates that time is on their side and they can control Tibet for good. In their efforts to erase Tibet, they have begun calling it “Xizang” in all its news reports and publications. Never did the PRC respond positively to the Dalai Lama and Tibetans’ most conciliatory gesture and solution embedded in the power of compassion, inclusivity, and mutual concerns. China equates Tibet issue with the Dalai Lama’s personal issues. Given that His Holiness is in advanced age, they think that once he is gone, Tibet will become a nonissue. It is hard to fathom the ignorance of the Chinese leaderships across the decades.
A prominent Chinese Tibetologist in Beijing visited me a couple of times on my campus for conversations and in my personal capacity, I told him that China should seriously talk with His Holiness because if the Tibet issues remain unsolved, His Holiness will reincarnate in a free country to continue the work of his predecessor. I told him that was what I could recall His Holiness saying when I served as his translator on many occasions before. Predictably, two Dalai Lamas will happen, as has happened with the Panchen Lama; but the Tibetan issue will continue.
His Holiness clearly states the same in his book: “…Now, since the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry on the work of the predecessor, the new Dalai Lama will be born in the free world so that the traditional mission of the Dalai Lama – that is, to be the voice for universal compassion, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and the symbol of Tibet embodying the aspirations of the Tibetan people – will continue.”
I am optimistic. Hope sustains human life, struggle, and success. Never Give Up! is my belief. To the Chinese leaderships, I would say: You can heed my conclusions. Time is not on your side. The Dalai Lama will outlive you. If the Tibet issue remains, His Holiness will reincarnate to lead us to resolve Tibet issues. I too pray daily that upon death, I will be reborn as a Tibetan in a free country so that I could continue Tibet’s struggle under His Holiness’ leadership. Mao was very right when he reacted to His Holiness’ escape to India by saying, “We have lost!” Indeed, you lost and Tibet issues remain alive despite your misleading and misinformation propaganda efforts.
His Holiness agrees, “Mao probably realized that with me gone out of Tibet, China would struggle with the question of legitimacy both of their authority and their presence in Tibet. He was right. This question of legitimacy remains at the very heart of China’s presence in Tibet, even after seven decades of occupation.”
As His Holiness says, he and Tibetans have done everything they could; now the ball is in the Chinese leadership’s court. The PRC should wake up from their egocentric bias and stupor and seriously address the Tibetan issues for their own benefits too. Tibet cannot be erased as you wish.
His Holiness has meticulously planned and systematically implemented plans and actions to save Tibet. He knows that the democratically elected Tibetan political leadership, the Gaden Phodrang, spiritual heads of the Bon and the Tibetan Buddhist Traditions, the Tibetan public, and peace-loving leaders and friends of Tibet across the globe will keep the Tibet issues alive during his absence. And he can guide us all again with his new reincarnation.
In my view, Voice for the Voiceless is as vital as the Thirteenth Dalia Lama’s Testament of 1932 (Tibetan: Chu-Tre Zhal Dham). All literate Tibetans should read it carefully and follow His Holiness’ advice to resolve the Tibet issues. Tibet will live, for truth prevails eventually. Impermanence is the law of nature and geopolitical situations including Tibet’s current situation will change. The Dalai Lama will live 113 years plus and the reincarnated Dalai Lama will outlive China’s communist leadership.
—
* Dr Tenzin Dorjee is Professor, Department of Human Communication Studies. California State University, Fullerton, and a former chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), USA.
** Disclaimer: This is a personal view and does not represent my department and university or the USCIRF.