By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, MAR. 7: Following the much shared and watched interview of the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama conducted by British satirist/comedian John Oliver in which he said that Chinese leaders have “part of brain missing”, China has hit back vehemently calling the octogenarian Tibetan leader a ‘deceptive actor’.
In an interview conducted on Dec. 5 last year for American television network HBO’s show ‘Last Week Tonight’ with John Oliver which was aired on Monday, the Dalai Lama said that Chinese leaders have portrayed short sightedness while dealing with the question of his reincarnation. The 81 year old said that leaders in Beijing have only been concerned with the image of the communist party. “Without using the human brain properly. It’s harmful… Our brain usually, you see, [has] the ability to create common sense. The Chinese hardliners, in their brains, that part of the brain is missing.”
The Dalai Lama who remained tight lipped about the impending details of his reincarnation which many say will be politicized, reiterated that he may be the last Dalai Lama in the long line of his predecessors in the institution revered by Tibetans and Buddhists from Himalaya regions over the centuries. However, the Tibetan leader maintained in a sturdy tone that his word will be the last when it comes to the question of his reincarnation.
Observers say that China is poised to go down the same road with appointing their own Dalai Lama just as they have done with other Tibetan Lama, the Panchen Lama.
On Tuesday, China retorted to the Dalai Lama’s interview saying he is a ‘deceptive actor’, which in comparison to earlier labels like “demon” and “wolf in monk’s clothing” seem like a compliment.
“The Dalai Lama’s comments in the interview perhaps appeared humorous and funny, but these words are all lies that do not accord with the facts,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang was quoted as saying. “We often say that the 14th Dalai Lama is a political exile who wears religious clothing to engage in anti-China separatist activities. Now it seems he is an actor, who is very good at performing, and very deceptively,” Geng further said.
Oliver’s show featuring a much relaxed and casual Dalai Lama presents the current plight of the Tibetan struggle including the spate of self immolations by Tibetans since 2009 in his trademark humor.
China has repeatedly labeled the 1989 Nobel Peace prize laureate as a ‘separatist’ and has vehemently sought to undermine his global appeal and message in the last few decades since he fled Tibet in 1959.
