US urges international community to ensure succession of Dalai Lama by 'normal methods'

Asserting that the succession of Dalai Lama "does not belong" to the Chinese government, the United States on Thursday (local time) urged the international community to ensure that the succession process goes forward by its normal methods.

During the special briefing, Sam Brownback, US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom said, "The international community has to be very clear about and strong that the right to determine the succession for Dalai Lama doesn't belong to Chinese Govt. It should be determined by Tibetan Buddhists."

"UN needs to take this topic up. It should be taken up by other international bodies and by governments around the world. Particularly, the European government that cares about religious freedom and human rights should take this up. I think this is an issue even really that should be taken up in international bodies to speak out clearly on this topic, to allow the succession process to go forward by its normal methods." he added.

Brownback visited Dharamshala in October and met the Dalai Lama and survivors of the religious persecution who escaped from Tibet. He held an hour-long interaction with them where they narrated their accounts.

China has repeatedly accused the US of meddling in its internal affairs. It considers Tibet an integral part of the country.

Reacting to China's accusation, Brownback said, "Well, I just categorically reject that I'm meddling in their internal affairs. There are many people that follow the Dalai Lama that don't live in China. This is a well-known spiritual leader throughout the world and deserves respect and deserves to be - the succession process picked by his faith community and the processes that they've followed for centuries. So I reject what the Chinese say".