Dharamsala Declaration: Special International Tibet Support Group Meeting
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA, 7 March: Representatives of Tibet Support Groups from 32 countries on Saturday condemned China’s interference in the reincarnation process of the Dalai Lama and reaffirmed that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, established by the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, holds the sole authority to identify his successor.
The statement was issued through the Dharamsala Declaration, adopted on the first day of the Special International Tibet Support Groups Meeting held from 7 to 9 March in Dharamsala, with more than 100 participants in attendance.
The meeting comes just days ahead of the 67th commemoration of the 10 March Tibetan National Uprising Day, when Tibetans around the world will commemorate the 1959 uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet, which was followed by a violent crackdown and led to the flight of the 14th Dalai Lama into exile.
The Dharamsala Declaration was presented at a press conference held at Lhakpa Tsering Hall by Penpa Tsering, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration(CTA), joined by former Member of Parliament Rinchen Khandu Khrimey, National Convenor of the Core Group for Tibetan Cause (CGTC), and Kai Mueller of ICT Germany, representing the participating Tibet Support Groups. Representatives said the recognition of the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation is a sacred Tibetan Buddhist tradition and that any attempt by the Chinese government to interfere in the process would constitute a grave violation of religious freedom and international norms.
The declaration also endorsed His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s statement of 2 July 2025, which vested sole and exclusive authority to identify his reincarnation in the Gaden Phodrang Trust, in consultation with traditional Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leaders.
The delegates further expressed solidarity with the Tibetan people and voiced concern over what they described as ongoing repressive Chinese policies in Tibet.
The declaration also reaffirmed support for the CTA , calling on governments, international organisations and civil society groups to formally recognise the CTA as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.
It also called for the resumption of direct dialogue between representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama or the democratically elected Tibetan leadership and the government of the People’s Republic of China, without preconditions.
