(1 Jul 2011) SHOTLIST
1. Mid of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Dalai Lama, Tibetan spiritual leader:
"One thing I want to make clear, as far as my own rebirth is concerned, the final authority is myself, no one else, obviously not the Chinese Communists. This is, sort of, not political department or something. If department, then of course the leader of the party has authority, but this is religious matter, and particularly this rebirth, the communists don't believe that. It's a disgrace, you see, they want to control that.....This is the harsh words, they become mad by the political power."
3. Mid of the Dalai Lama speaking to people
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dalai Lama, Tibetan spiritual leader:
"All five points regarding my�.regarding me, they will welcome me, they will send some high officials, and they restate all my sort of previous positions, so at once I respond. This is not the issue, the issue is 600 million people's basic rights, their culture, that's the issue. So unless the central government pay seriously about that issue, the talks about my return is not relevant."
5. Wide of the Dalai Lama talking to people
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dalai Lama, Tibetan spiritual leader:
"The Chinese government, you see, showing their courage to face the reality. Then, I am always ready go there, help them to promote genuine reconciliation."
7. Mid of the Dalai Lama walking away, waving to people
STORYLINE
The Dalai Lama on Friday said that China's Communist leadership should play no role in deciding who succeeds him as the leader of Tibetan Buddhism upon his death and called Beijing's meddling in the issue "a disgrace."
"This is religious matter," he said, speaking in Dharamsala.
The Nobel Peace laureate turns 76 next week and has begun preparing his people for his eventual death in hopes of preventing his homeland's Chinese rulers from taking advantage of the leadership vacuum.
The Dalai Lama, whose predecessors ruled Tibet as god-kings for four centuries, gave up his role as Tibet's political leader in favour of an elected exile government in May.
He has said the next Dalai Lama, who would be the 15th incarnation of the spiritual leader, will be born in exile and even floated the idea of choosing his own successor while still alive.
Beijing, which hopes the Tibetan national movement will fizzle with his death, has responded by insisting the Dalai Lama will be reincarnated in Chinese-controlled Tibet and accusing the current Dalai Lama of violating religious tradition.
"One thing I want to make clear, as far as my own rebirth is concerned, the final authority is myself and no one else, and obviously not the Chinese Communists," he said.
"This is a religious matter," he added, pointing out that China's atheist Communists don't believe in reincarnation, so can't decide a matter based in that belief.
"It's a disgrace to see that they want to control that," he said. "They've become mad by political power."
China claims Tibet has been its territory for centuries, although many Tibetans say it was effectively independent for most of that time.
The Dalai Lama fled into exile amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, nine years after Communist forces entered the Himalayan region.
On Friday, he rejected the suggestion that now that he is retired from politics he might be willing to discuss return to Tibet with China without linking it to other conditions about Tibetan autonomy or China's treatment of Tibetans.
''No,'' he said. ''The Tibetan issue is not just my return.''
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