Dalai Lama confirms he will have a successor after his death ahead of 90th birthday celebrations
The Dalai Lama has confirmed he will appoint a successor after his death - as the spiritual leader prepared to celebrate his 90th birthday.
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The Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader made the announcement in a video statement ahead of the milestone birthday, as celebrations got underway ahead of his birthday on Sunday.
The move has ended years of speculation surrounding a possible successor.
Tenzin Gyatso became the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama in 1940, with the leader having previously indicated that he might be the last person to hold the role.
The announcement came during prayer celebrations, with the Nobel peace prize-winning leader revealing that the next Dalai Lama should be found and recognised in line with Buddhist traditions.
He was seen to insist that his successor would be born outside of China, with the leader regarded as a separatist by rulers in Beijing.
According to Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama can choose the body to which he reincarnates.
However, Beijing has previously said it and it alone has the authority to locate the individual who is a reincarnation of the Dalai Lama after his death.
The Dali Lama has been re-selected on 14 occasions since the creation of the institution in 1587.
Gyatso was seen to flee Tibet, seeking sanctuary in the town of Dharamshala in India after Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the capital, Lhasa, in 1959.
The spiritual leader continues to live in exile.