The 76-year-old Dalai Lama remains a figure of central importance to Tibetans as well as the Chinese government and Communist Party. Tibetans in China continue to evoke his name in their grievances over official threats to Tibetan culture, language, and religion, and to call for the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet. At the same time, the government and Party continue their campaign to discredit the Dalai Lama and to control the selection of his successor. Negotiations between the two sides have stalled with the longest break since dialogue resumed in 2002. For his part, the Dalai Lama recently brought to an end the centuries-old role of the Dalai Lama at the head of Tibetan governance. At this critical juncture, this roundtable will examine the Dalai Lama's significance for Tibetans today. What will be the impact of his reduced political role? What role will the Dalai Lama play in the future of Tibetans in China?

View the recorded webcast here.

Panelists:

Bhuchung K. Tsering, Vice President, International Campaign for Tibet

Arjia Rinpoche,  Director, Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center

David Germano, Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of Virginia

Ngawang Sangdrol, former Tibetan political prisoner

Opening Statement of Senator Sherrod Brown, Cochairman, Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Statement of Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, U.S. State Department; Member, Congressional-Executive Commission on China

A complete transcript of this CECC Roundtable is available online in PDF and TEXT.

CECC Roundtables are open to the public. No RSVP is necessary.

View 30 Representative Cases of Tibetan Political Imprisonment.

Click here to download a copy of the Commission's full 2010 Annual Report.