Brussels meet calls for global support to protect Tibetan religious freedom

BRUSSELS: Global solidarity for Tibetan Buddhists and growing concerns over China's interference in Tibetan religious affairs took centre stage at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the European Buddhist Union held in Brussels on May 9, according to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

During the conference session titled "Respect for the Religious Rights of Buddhists in Europe," Rigzin Genkhang, representative of the Dalai Lama and the CTA at the Office of Tibet Brussels, called on the international community to stand firmly with Tibetan Buddhists amid what the CTA described as Beijing's increasing attempts to control Tibetan spiritual traditions.

According to the CTA, Genkhang warned delegates about the People's Republic of China's intensifying efforts to interfere in the succession of the Dalai Lama, including through the recently enacted "Ethnic Unity Law."

Addressing Buddhist representatives and European leaders at the Saint-Gilles town hall in Brussels, Genkhang stressed that the appointment of religious leaders must remain a spiritual matter free from political interference, the CTA reported.

"The selection of religious leaders is a purely spiritual matter that must remain free from state coercion," Genkhang stated, referring to a recent European Parliament resolution criticising Beijing's "Ethnic Unity Law," according to the CTA.

The CTA reported that the AGM brought together key European figures, including Jean Spinette, Mayor of Saint-Gilles, Nicola Censini, Coordinator of Article 17 at the European Parliament, and Antonella Sberna, vice-president of the European Parliament, who addressed the gathering through a video message.

According to the CTA, Sberna congratulated the European Buddhist Union on its 50th anniversary and praised its role in preserving religious dialogue and spiritual traditions across Europe.

As per the CTA, Genkhang attended the meeting at the special invitation of European Buddhist Union president Stefano Bettera and vice-president Carlo Luyckx, who also heads the Buddhist Union of Belgium. The CTA noted that discussions during the AGM largely focused on protecting religious freedoms and resisting attempts by authoritarian governments to influence spiritual institutions.

According to the CTA, the European Buddhist Union reiterated its appeal to the international community not to recognise any religious leader appointed by the Chinese government. The organisation also called for renewed dialogue to resolve the long-standing Sino-Tibetan conflict peacefully, the CTA reported.