| Summary/Abstract |
An interview of the Dalai Lama in September 2014 sparked massive debate on the issue of his reincarnation that lasted many months. Much of the discussion overlooked the need to verify sources and relied on mere summaries of the said interview. The ‘incomplete’ media reports, have, among other things, had a very noticeable impact on the already fragile Sino-Tibetan relations. Particularly interesting are the reactions by Chinese officials and media. The first part of this commentary deals with this aspect followed by an attempt to decode the message underlying the Dalai Lama’s purported statements on his reincarnation. Instead of relying on mere summaries of interviews, this analysis takes up the full interviews available in video and transcribed format and identifies the sources of the concerns on both sides of the Sino-Tibetan divide.
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