Yesterday was the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Now aged 74, birthday celebrations were held at the main temple, even though the Birthday Boy was not in attendance – he is currently in Paris to collect an honoury citizenship award.
HHDL continues to work tirelessly to promote the Tibetan cause despite his recent ill-health over the last few years. Compare the global awareness of the Tibetans´ plight compared to those of the Uighurs in Xinjiang. Like the Tibetans, this Islamic minority group have suffered horrendously at the hands of the Chinese government. Yet their fight is little-known, making the global news when they hold an insurrection which they are organising with increasing frequency and ferocity. BBC report at least 140 people are feared dead from Sunday´s uprising.
Forced into politics from a very young age and living in exile for 50 years, HHDL has faced much greater difficulties than any of his 13 predecessors (or previous incarnations). It has been increasingly reported that he has lost the support and backing of the younger Tibetans in exile. However, whenever I speak to the younger exiles, they have nothing but respect for him.
HHDL has made it clear that it is up to the Tibetan people to decide if they want a fifteenth Dalai Lama on his death. However, any successor would not have the additional burden of being the political leader, the role being passed to the democratically elected leader of the Tibetan (in Exile) parliament.
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